Tekken Tournament 9: Break the Cycle
by M.M.Richter-XIII
Summary: After coming so close last time, Kamikage is even more deranged and dangerous than before. The twins however much stronger than before as well. In this vendetta, the collision will only bring pain.
1. What's Your Character?

_Disclaimer: I don't own Tekken…_

_**A/N: **_**Hello, fans and writers in the Tekken community. Thank you for stopping by, and I hope you enjoy this story. Now, I've been away for a while, and I'm dealing with a whole cast of new original characters based on the current, so to counteract any inherent confusion, this is sort of a re-introduction to the main characters. So, without saying anymore, let's get to it.**

The King of Iron Fist Tournament 9: Break the Cycle

What's Your Character?

"It's a new day indeed…"

In a large armchair sat a middle-aged woman with a tape recorder set in front of her and a spiral-bound notebook in her hands. Her head was adorned with curly blonde hair stiffened by hairspray, and her fingernails were painted a bright crimson red. Her eyes, just as her shifting posture suggested, brimmed with anticipation and eagerness as she looked at her current subjects.

"And it's brought a new generation of young stars with it." The reporter continued, "Now, as you all know, this piece is to personally introduce you to the world, to give everyone a peek in your fascinating world. I'll be asking you some standard and some somewhat unconventional questions, but, of course if you feel uncomfortable answering any of them, just say so. Does that sound good?"

Seated on a long couch before her was the focus of her news article, seven young adults. The group looked amongst themselves for a moment before nodding in agreement to the terms.

The reporter eagerly started, "Super! Now, first things first; the obvious questions is: who are you? How are you all related? Do you have any famous relatives?"

The first one to answer was a teenage girl sitting in the center of the group. Her appearance was immaculate: her long peach-colored hair was elegantly styled without a single hair out of place; her attire from her white dress to her long boots to the gloves on her hands was neat and elegant without a spot or wrinkle. Even her posture was upright and near-faultless. All together, her exceptional demeanor and apparel gave her a distinct air of regality and privilege. However, the most telling thing about her was her relation to the young man seated next to her; she had his arm enclosed in her own with a mix of admiration and caution like something precious that will disappear if let go.

The girl spoke eloquently, "I am Lilith Rochefort. I am the daughter of virtuoso Emilie 'Lili' de Rochefort and the indomitable Hwoarang. And this stalwart young man right here is my paramour, Vincent."

Next was the young man seated next to the heiress, the apparent object of her affection. A handsome young man, his hair was a uniform platinum gray, and he had deep steel-blue eyes. Resting against the couch, his posture was composed and relaxed, with the only real consistent movement being his breathing. His poise was so evident that if you through water, it would probably freeze. The one anomaly in his demeanor came when he occasionally placed his hands on Lilith's, a reaction to the obvious pressure she was inadvertently applying.

The calm young man relayed, "My name is Yushin Vincent Chaolan. I am the son of Lee Chaolan. Lilith Rochefort is my girlfriend, and Vanessa Kliesen is my older sister."

The young woman who spoke next, seated on the far left of the couch, was an interesting case. Clad in a white t-shirt and blue jeans, distinguishing her gender at a glance would be difficult. However upon closer inspection of her face and figure, it was deniable this was a woman. As calm as Yushin was, this lady seated on the other side of him was just as excited; she was obviously in complete awe of this whole experience, barely able contain herself and remain seated.

The energized young lady eagerly answered, "That's right. I am Vanessa Kliesen, but my friends call me Van. I'm the daughter of Leo Kliesen, and Vince is my little bro."

The next profile came from the young woman on the other side of Lilith. Most everything about her gave the feeling of resolute and steady, from her interlocking fingers to the pointed crest of hair on the back of her head. She even seemed to be sizing up the reporter with a steady gaze from her different-colored eyes, the right one being blue and the left being brownish-red. However, that same intimidating look in her eyes would swiftly melt away when directing her attention to any one of her companions.

The steadfast young woman expressed, "I am Jun Kokoro Kazama. I'm the daughter of Jin Kazama and Ling Xiaoyu, the niece of Asuka Kazama, and the twin sister of Haku…" After a pause, Lilith reached over and gave Jun a swift smack on her leg, obviously feeling slighted. Jun's responding look swiftly went from confusion to annoyance. Eventually, she nonchalantly added as if she had forgotten it, disregard evident in her voice, "Oh, and Lilith Rochefort is my greatest rival or something."

The young man who answered next sat on the other side of Jun, which served to highlight the similarities between them; in many ways, the two were simply distaff counterparts of one another, the biggest difference being the young man's left eye was blue and his right eye was brownish-red. However, while his female double was serious, this guy was decidedly not; his contentment, in fact, was very palpable, and his rather infectious smile never left his face. A very interesting but obvious priority of his was the girl sitting closest to him and opposite Jun. Not only was he showing his support by interlocking his hand with her shaky one, but every time he looked at her, he seemed to grow even happier, as if that were even possible.

The joyful young man offered, "Hi. My name is Haku Kazuki Kazama. My mom and dad are Ling Xiaoyu and Jin Kazama; Asuka Kazama is my aunt; and Jun, of course, is my twin sister. But most of all, my lovely and amazing girlfriend is Akane Hirano."

Haku's last statement garnered an inherent reaction from the young woman holding hands with him; in response to his praise, her face flushed red even as a smile arrived with it, blushing from equal parts appreciation and slight nervousness from having attention directed to her. A discreet and demure maiden, she was understandably unsettled by this situation, obviously unsure about herself and her actions. The tension caused her to grasp Haku's hand tight several times, but each time, she was eased by his support. However, her modesty and humility did nothing to take away from her beauty, from her ruby-red hair to her lucid brown eyes.

Eventually, the meek nymph stammered, "Um… My name is Akane Hirano, and my mother is Miharu Hirano. Haku Kazama is …" Oddly, she paused and a smile emerged on her face as the next words came out, "… my boyfriend."

That left only one obviously the oldest of the group. He was situated on the far right of the couch with his arms folded against his chest. A stoic figure, stubble clung to his chin along with a thin moustache sitting on his upper lip, and the slick, jet-black hair on his head was adorned with a pair of motorcycle goggles atop it. He was a taciturn individual to begin with, but further complication came from the fact that he was obviously preoccupied with other things, namely Lilith and Yushin. Realizing he was the only one left, he finally offered.

The stoic man plainly stated, "I am Jhun 'Kyou' Doo San. I am the adopted son of Baek Doo San, the student of Hwoarang, and body guard of his daughter, Lilith Rochefort."

Lilith quickly pointed out in a playful jeer, "'Self-proclaimed' bodyguard, mind you…"

The reporter smiled at the successful introductions, and continued, "Good, good, good. Now, here's the first curveball of a question: do you have a motto or mantra?"

Very naturally, they all answered in unison, "Keep your flag flying, keep yourself alive, and be just or be dead."

Surprised and amused by the combined response, the reporter joked, "Wow, you all are a bunch of superheroes, aren't you?"

Aware of how they sounded, they all chuckled at her reaction and their catch phrase in general…

The reporter after a moment readily looked for her next question, saying, "Okay, here's a pretty harmless question: what is your most treasured possession?"

Lilith, the first to answer again, mused, "Hmm… I have many possessions, but I must say, my most treasure simply has to be 'Foudre', my priceless black-and-yellow motorcycle. It's the best gift that mother and father have ever given me; Daddy and I still enjoy riding around alongside each one another."

"That figures…" Kyou commented under his breath.

Lilith teased him again in response, saying, "Of course, 'Jhun'. If you have one, let's hear about yours."

Kyou shuddered in seeming response to his first name before removing his goggles and saying, "These goggles were given to me the day I was put into Master Hwoarang's care. He said that as long as his name is Hwoarang or my last name is Doo San… He would look after me. He and Miss Lili haven't let me down, and I'll never forget that."

Van, carrying on the feeling, revealed with a softened tone, "I have one of those too. Um … My mom and I are gone a lot, so I don't get to see my dad much, not as much as I'd like anyway. But, before my first trip with my mother, he gave me this small rose." Van paused as she pulled the aforementioned rose from her pocket, before continuing, "It's plastic, but that's why it's lasted so long. He said it was lucky, and that wherever I went with it, he'd be with me… I know it sounds cheesy now, and I only use to take it on expeditions, but now … I basically take it everywhere."

Akane then expressed, "Wow, guys; these are really special. I'm not sure if mine is that important."

Haku quickly reassured her, saying, "It's alright, Akane-chan. We're not competing. If it's special to you, then it's important."

"Alright…" Akane consented before raising her free hand to show off a piece of jewelry, saying, "Then, my most treasured possession has to be this charm bracelet. The day I got this everyone, my mom and dad, Xiaoyu-sama, all of my friends, they all got a special charm to put on it. I just … I'm just really glad everyone thought of me."

Haku said to her quietly, "If you ask me, I'd say that's important … and special."

Jun, her demeanor softening a great deal, spoke earnestly, "Personally, Haku-kun and I have two shared treasures between us."

Knowing where his sister was going, Haku added, "Yeah, one is so special that we don't even take it out of the house."

Jun continued, "That one … is this white headband that belonged to our grandmother, who I'm named after. It got passed down to my aunt, and then to me. Asuka-obasan says it's a family heirloom at this point."

Haku expounded, "Our grandmother was the 'chosen one' of our family, so us having that headband means that it's our turn to carry on the family name. It's … pretty cool, if you think about it."

Jun pointed out, "The other one… Haku-kun, I think you have it."

"Oh yeah…" Haku said as he realized, and pulled out a picture out of his wallet, "It's a picture of our mom and dad. He … died before we were born, so … we don't really have that many things of his. We didn't spend time with him of course, but we like to think we're making him proud."

Jun added, "It's not only that though. Our mom is pretty cheerful, but this picture is the only time we've seen her smile this way, where she was so … happy. We carry it around for her as well."

"Wow. You all are really something." The reporter commented before noticing, "Mr. Chaolan, I think you're last."

Vincent slowly unbuttoned the top of his shirt to reveal a large diagonal scar on his chest, and said, "Well, about six months ago, while I was competing in the King of Iron Fist… I got injured. They had to operate on me and give me a blood transfusion, but the transfusion didn't take. This scar is where they had to operate on me a second time, so my body wouldn't reject the new blood again. They made it just in time … because Lilith-chan had stayed with me the entire time. I owe her my life because if she wasn't there, I wouldn't be here."

Van voiced, "Actually, all of us are grateful for that."

The reporter said in awe, "Simply incredible. I do want to thank you all for being so candid… Now, next question: what do you consider your greatest achievement?"

Lilith quickly answered before shooting Jun a glance, "Becoming the youngest Tae Kwon Do champion since my father… But that was years ago. My greatest achievement, I believe, has yet to come."

Kyou said, "So far, I'm glad I earned the title of current Tae Kwon Do champion two months ago."

Van then said with a bit of glimmer in her eye, "Believe it or not, I broke a world record. I was the youngest person to climb to highest point in every continent… Then, I set the record for youngest person to do it twice."

Akane humbly responded, "The tournament six months ago … I was really just glad to be competing, but I didn't think I would have the kind of success I did; three wins just didn't seem plausible, to me at least."

Vincent, Jun, and Haku all relayed in unison, "Hosting the last tournament…"

Vincent elaborated, "We put so much work and effort into that, and we're glad everyone got to see and partake in it."

Jun added, "We had a lot to prove to a lot of people. But we showed them; even though we're young, we can do great things."

Haku happily said, "Most of all, it was just a blast to set up. People came out from all over the place, and got their money's worth. We got a lot of respect for what we pulled off. It went better for the audience than we could've imagined."

"Good, good…" the reporter said before moving on, "Now, this next question might b a bit touchy: what do you most deplore about yourself? Or to word it better, if there's one thing you would change about yourself, what would it be?"

The group fell silent from reluctance until Akane finally admitted, "Well, I wish I was more outgoing. I mean, I've tried to be, but I just … get really nervous."

Vincent hesitantly spoke next, "For me, I wish I was … more expressive. Being trained in business, I've been taught to hold back anything others can exploit. That's fine at work, but I see that I'm also bringing it home. So, not just for me but for the people I care about, I would change that."

Van answered honestly, "Personally, I like who I am, but one thing does bug me… I'm not very 'girly'. I know; there's a big surprise, right? I mean, my look is good for everything I need to do, but it doesn't exactly help me when it comes to guys … especially this one guy I have my eyes on."

Kyou said plainly, "I wish I had a better sense of humor."

Lilith then questioned with slight surprise, "What are you talking about? Your sense of humor seems fine."

Kyou then confessed, "Not really. Half the time, I laugh because you all laugh, not because I understand the jokes."

Haku responded, admitting, "As for me, I'm working on my self-control. Really, I'm easily excited; I'm up for just about anything, you know, But, I've been told and have noticed that when I'm revved up for something, I often miss things or just don't see them. So, I'm trying to slow myself down some."

Jun finally conceded, "I guess I wanna be … friendlier, if that's the right word. Quite a few people get nervous or jumpy around me; it's something about the way I look or talk. Honestly, I really just want to talk to more people without them flinching."

The young group again fell silent momentarily until they all looked toward Lilith…

Noticing, Lilith asked, "What's the matter?"

Jun explained rather bluntly, "It's your turn, Princess; we're waiting for you."

Lilith confidently responded, "Well, there's nothing I would change about myself; I think I'm perfect just the way I am. Don't you agree, Vincent-dear?"

Vincent automatically answered, "Of course."

Jun sighed, "I don't know why I expected any other answer."

The reporter eagerly carried on, "Excellent! Now, conversely, what trait do you most deplore in others? What trait really irks you?"

Lilith quickly answered, "Poor personal hygiene! If you have access to running water, then you have no excuse to be disgusting. It's simply … Ugh!"

Vincent responded, "I guess mine is similar to that. I hate smoking especially mentholated cigarettes. It's toxic, unhealthy, and kills many people each year yet remains perfectly legal. Unfortunately, that hasn't stopped my dad from enjoying them. He's starting to come around somewhat though…"

"I don't like it when people mess with my family and friends especially Vincent," Van said, drawing a slightly embarrassed look from Yushin. Van responded, "I'm sorry. I'm your big sister; I can't help it."

Jun, her intensity rising again, said, "Above all else, I can't stand being disrespected or seeing disrespect. I just have no stomach for it."

Haku paused for a moment before finally saying, "I guess the only thing I really dislike is deception. I don't like it when people string others along or when people act a lot better than they are, just to get something. But, that's really the only pressing issue."

Akane tentatively said, "Mostly, I don't like it when people are cruel to one another; along with everything else wrong with it … it doesn't help anyone at all."

Kyou succinctly said, "Crowds. Just … crowds."

Lilith inquired, "Okay. And…?"

"And … what? I don't like crowds; it's that simple." Kyou retorted.

Lilith persisted, "Well, she said what trait, so why don't you like crowds?"

Kyou succinctly answered, "Because of the chaos, the disorder."

Lilith persisted still, "Good. Now, why chaos?"

Vincent, hoping to dissuade her from prodding any further, tried to interject, "Actually, Lilith-chan, I think that's good enough."

"It's fine, dear…" Lilith brushed aside the concern before persisting even more, "Tell us, Jhun; what about disorder troubles you so much?"

"Because…!" Kyou exclaimed, getting riled up. He quickly calmed himself and then confessed truthfully, "Because when I get in a huge crowd … I have panic attacks. I've had them ever since I was young and got lost in a busy train station. So, I avoid crowds at all times. Alright, I said it; are you satisfied now?"

The posse of young people grew quiet, pausing as they stared at Kyou momentarily. They didn't hear these types of personal revelations from him very often, and it was obvious. Tellingly, Lilith released Yushin, rose from the couch, approached Kyou, and warmly wrapped her arms around his neck…

Lilith exclaimed with genuine kindness and excitement, "Aw, I knew it. There is a soft sweet center under that hard shell of yours."

Visibly uncomfortable over the show of affection, Kyou expressed, "Yes, yes; I'm chocolate Easter egg. Now please … let me go."

As Lilith returned to her spot on the couch next to Vincent, the reporter continued, "Great. So, I guess this next question is valid as well: who do you most dislike? Is there anyone you despise?""

That question drew the oddest reaction from the group. The young people look each other, and silently bounced the idea, obviously having someone in mind. However, some of them were reluctant to reveal the identity. Van and Lilith obviously had no objection about it. Vincent, Jun, and Haku however were very unwilling to point the finger at this person. Akane soon sided with Haku with a simple hand gesture, while Kyou remained undecided about the whole situation. Eventually, Van and Lilith relented to their friend's desires.

Jun spoke for them all, requesting, "We'd rather not answer that one. Could we just skip it please?"

Understanding, the reported moved on, "Alright, no problem. Next question: You all have become popular throughout the world, focal points of your age group, but who are some of yours? Who are your real life heroes, people in your lives you most admire?"

Lilith answered rather haughtily at first, "My mother and father… My mother is my role model, and my father is the strongest man I know." Then, after a pause, her tone turned tender as she said warmly, "Actually, I'm really lucky to be their daughter. I wouldn't trade them for anything."

Kyou answered just as quick, "Baek Doo San… I was just an orphan barely four years old, scared and alone. The, he came along, and took me in. I didn't get to spend a lot of time with him. But, I hold fast to everything he taught me. Baek Doo San is my hero … in a literal sense."

Van cheerfully and fondly said, "I'll keep this theme going. My hero is my mom. It kind of bugs me that some people can't tell she's my mom, but she's still my role model. I want to be as strong, brave, and daring as she is."

Vincent responded next, "Naturally, my father, Lee Chaolan… He is a great businessman- intelligent, progressive, firm, and persuasive – but with me, Van-chan, and our mother, he's kind, generous, and understanding, a great father and husband to my mom. That's a balance I'm still hoping to find, and I admire him endlessly for being so good at it."

Akane responded, "My mother, Miharu. I'm a lot like her, people say. We both worry about things, but she always finds the courage to do everything she needs to do. I hope I do end up just like her."

The twins paused and looked at each other, trying to decide who to say…

Jun said somberly, "If we go off what we're told, um … Our first two are our grandmother and our dad. We didn't get to meet them, but … we still miss them every day."

Haku, somber as well especially for him, continued, "As for the living, we have to say our mom. She … lost our dad right before we came along, and she loved him a lot; she still does. But even by herself and sad as she was, she never complained. She didn't get angry. She never gave up. She still managed to smile, and take care of us. We … we're not sure we could've done it, you know. And she did a pretty good job, we like to think."

The reporter smiled as she said, "That's really good; I really like those answers… Well, this is a pretty obvious question: Have you ever been in love?"

The two couples and Van all immediately said, "Yes!"

Jun and Kyou looked at each other, shrugged, and Kyou said, "No, actually."

Jun added, "Unfortunately, no; not yet, anyway."

The reported laughed at the immediate response, saying, "Okay. Here's another fairly easy question, but feel free to gush: who is your greatest love?"

Lilith happily gushed as Kyou suppressed a cringe, "Of course, it's my Vincent. Just look at him; he's simply gorgeous. Plus, he's brilliant, strong, and suave. In my eyes, no one else really comes close."

Vincent responded, "Lilith-chan, naturally… Well, she's gracious, exciting, beautiful… And like my family, I don't think anyone loves me as much as she does. Most people don't have that, but I do. I'm glad that I do, and I'm glad it's her."

Pleased to hear such praise, Lilith smiled at her loved one, and affectionately rested her head on his shoulder…

Haku then said with a musing smile, "It's Akane-chan, ever since I first saw her. She's been friends with me and my sister since all three of us were little, and every day, she's gotten prettier, sweeter, kinder, and more caring. I couldn't be happier then when I'm with her…" The praise again brought a blush to Akane's face, prompting Haku to add, "Oh, and I like it when she blushes like this; it means she likes what I said."

The group chuckled at the comment before Akane amorously said, "I'm in love … with Haku Kazama.; I have been since I first looked in his eyes. He's always supported me in everything. He can always make me smile and laugh. He listens, and is easy to talk to. He's always there to help me when I need it, to make me happy when I'm sad, to pick me up when I'm down… Haku is my favorite person; I love everything about him."

Kyou shuffled in his chair as Jun commented on the affectionate words of her friends, "Of course, Kyou and I are riddled with envy over all this romance."

"I understand," the reporter said before pointing out, "So, Ms. Van, you answered yes. Would you mind telling us about your beau?"

Van was caught off-guard, having forgotten her admission, but now she had to speak. The group all focused their attention on her; they, of course, knew who it was, but they still wanted to see if she would actually admit it. Van, meanwhile was mortified by the whole situation, lost on what to do or say. Van simply wasn't ready for this … so she took another option…

Van nervously chuckled as she rubbed the back of her head, and asked, "Actually, uh… I don't think so. He doesn't exactly know yet, so I just … want to keep it to myself right now."

Amused but not surprised, the rest of the group simply shared a few brief chuckles between them…

The reporter pressed on, "Fair enough… Simple question: What's your greatest fear?"

Lilith said, "Being forgotten…"

Vincent admitted, "Being afraid…"

Van divulged, "Being bored…"

Akane confessed, "Being humiliated…"

Kyou said, "Being worthless…"

Finally, the twins said in unison rather tellingly, "Losing our friends…"

That definitely took the others by surprise, all looking at the twins. They didn't expect that answer; they hadn't even considered that possibility. On by one, they gave the twins reassuring looks, silently telling them there was nothing to worry about. Akane, specifically reassuring Haku, held his hand tightly in hers and hold him closer with her free arm.

Finally, the reporter said, "Well, I only have one more question. I wondered before this interview about what the closer would be, but I know exactly what to ask now… What do you most value about your friends?"

All of them paused to think, not for lack of an answer but actually an overabundance. They struggled to narrow it down to one answer…

Lilith said first, "I value my friends' presence… I mean, despite what I may say or do, they're always there for me. That is just indispensable any way you view it."

Vincent admitted, "I value my friends … for their personalities. Because of who they are and who I am, I know where I'm supposed to be, where I belong."

Van confessed, "I value my friends for their security. No matter where I go or how long I've been away, when I'm with these guys, I'm definitely home."

Kyou divulged, "I value my friends because they give me focus. As long as they're around, I'll always have people to fight for."

Akane spoke up, saying, "I value my friends for their comfort. They keep me at ease, and give me the strength I don't think I would have on my own."

"Well, they took all my answers…" Haku said playfully before saying seriously, "Yeah, basically everything they said. I value them because … they're not just my friends, you know. It's bigger than that. It's stronger than that."

Jun added, "Exactly. I even think 'value' is not a strong enough word. It goes further than that. These people aren't just our 'rich friend', 'cool friend', 'quiet friend', 'nice friend', and 'fun-loving friend'. They're not our clique or entourage; we'd do anything for them in a heartbeat. They're … they're our family."

End Chapter

_**A/N:**_** Alright, there you have it. Thank you for reading, and I hope you enjoyed it. Better still, I hope you now have a favorite character. I should have the next chapter up soon, so please stay tuned. Again, thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed it, and I hope you come back to read more. **


	2. Back to Life

_Disclaimer: I don't own Tekken…_

_**A/N:**_** Hello, fellow readers and writers. Welcome to my story, and thank you for reading. Well, I have to tell you: this is the last entry in my Tekken series. Thank you all for the attention and support you've given my story. But that's for end; right now, we're getting into the story proper with this chapter. I hope you enjoy it, and here … we … go:**

The King of Iron Fist Tournament 9: Break the Cycle

Back To Life

"Ha-kun, I … I-I'm not sure about this." Akane stammered nervously.

Haku calmly attempted to reassure her, "Don't worry. This will be a lot of fun, I promise."

Still nervous, Akane said, "I don't know if I can this, Ha-kun."

Haku, taking her hands in his to ease her, persisted comfortingly, "Akane-chan, everything is going to be fine. Trust me; you'll be glad we did this."

Akane commented as she started to relax, "I don't know; I've never done this before."

Haku persisted as soothingly as he could, "I know, and I know this is a little scary, but I'll help you through it. Think about this way: you know I care about you?"

"Yes…"

"Yes… And you know I'll always take care of you?"

"Yes…"

"Exactly; so, there's no reason to worry." Haku deduced, "I wouldn't ask you to do it if it weren't safe or if I thought you wouldn't enjoy it. Just give it a shot for me; it'll be great."

Akane paused as she thought it over, until she finally said, "'Well … okay. If you think it'll be good, then I'll do it."

Haku happily kissed her forehead as he exclaimed with a smile, "Great! Believe me, you won't be disappointed."

A short time later, they took off with impressive speed. They traversed numerous ups and downs along with other positions: sideways, backwards, and even upside down. Their hearts pounded wildly. They felt the rush of adrenaline, dopamine, and endorphins, producing a slight nature high. Screams of joy and exhilaration rang out. After 10 straight minutes, the experience came to a gradual end … and the crowd slowly filed out of the ride, still dizzy from the roller coaster. Eventually, Akane and Haku made it out with Yushin and Lili right behind, the four having just tried Dawn Rain's new suspension roller coaster 'Rain Drop'…

Haku excitedly said, his hair windswept, "So, Akane-chan, how did you like your first coaster?"

Akane, her hair also unkempt, answered with a smile, "Well, it was definitely as scary as I imagined … but it was a lot more fun than I thought it would be. Thank you for going with me."

"Any time…"Haku said with a smile.

Right after, an opportunity was noticed, and Akane made use of it. She reached up and ran her hands through his hair to rearrange it, lightly touching his face last as she smiled the whole time. Returning the gesture, Haku gently soothed Akane's hair down before letting it curl back into its natural position, and affectionately moved a stray lock of hair out of her face. Lilith mentally swooned, touched by her friend's show of affection, and naturally wanted something similar with Yushin…

"Hold on, Vincent." Lilith said as he realized how he looked, "I'll get that for you."

Vincent gently declined, "Don't worry about it; Lilith-chan. I got it."

Lilith persisted, even reaching for his head, "Really? Are you sure?"

Vincent gently blocked her hands, saying, "Absolutely. It's okay; I'll fix it."

As Vincent flattened his hair back down, Lilith went for a different approach, "Okay. So, how does my hair look?"

Vincent paused as he saw her windswept locks, and, not wanting to offend her, said, "It, uh … it looks fine."

Not wanting the moment to linger, Yushin quickly went after Akane and Haku. Confused, Lilith took out her compact mirror and looked into it to see her hair completely tousled. She could only sigh in disappointment at a moment of affection lost, fixed her hair, and hurried after her friends…

Eventually, the pair of couples stopped at a nearby eatery where another opportunity presented itself. As they ate, Akane got some ketchup on the side of her mouth, which she didn't notice … but Haku did. He, rather than immediately point it out, gave her a moment to realize what was going on, when he got an idea: Haku suddenly stopped eating, put his food down, and just looked at her. Naturally, she noticed this, stopped as well, and turned to him. Acting before she could ask anything, Haku gave her a brief kiss, cleaning the errant ketchup off her in the process. Only then did Akane recognize just what he did, and briefly kissed him back for the sneaky but demonstrative gesture.

Lilith was again touched by the romance of her friends, and hoped to emulate it with her paramour. After a time, she felt some mustard on her lip, and started to instinctively remove it … when she stopped; this was her chance.

Lilith inquired while trying to sound innocent and spontaneous, "This food is quite superb; don't you agree, Vincent-dear?"

Vincent looked over and obviously spotted the gaffe, but responded, figuring she'd get it, "Yes, it is very good."

Lilith could tell that he noticed it, but decided to go for a less subtle hint this time, "What's wrong? Is there something on my face?"

Vincent slowly looked back, and answered a little tentatively, "Well, actually, yes. You have a little something on your lip."

Despite this, Yushin simply went back to his food. Lilith could only look at him in puzzlement for a moment until she finally couldn't let it go any longer. Again, she sighed in disappointment as she wiped her lip clean with a napkin. At a loss, the Monegasque heiress needed some advice…

Trying to sound inconspicuous, Lilith asked, "Akane, could you be a dear and escort me to the restroom, please? I need to speak with you."

Akane, slightly confused but still willing, responded "Um, okay, Lilith-chan. I'll go with you."

With that, the girls got up and departed. This was actually a fortunate occurrence because Yushin need to talk to Haku as well…

"Haku-san, can I ask you something?"

Haku puts his food down, and listened intently, offering, "Sure thing; ask away."

Vincent proceeded cautiously, "Have you noticed… I mean, does Lilith-chan seem to be … acting strangely?"

Haku chuckled and asked, "I don't know. What do you mean by 'acting strangely'?"

Vincent explained, "Well, take today for instance. She went through her usual routine to get ready. But then, once we got here, she's been … not herself. She keeps neglecting her appearance, something she never does, like with her hair after the roller coaster or the stuff on her face just now. Usually, she's so very meticulous and quick to correct these things that it's basically a compulsion. I'm actually starting to worry a bit."

Haku took a moment to think before saying, "Well, the only reasons I can find for a 180 like that are: depression or trying to get attention for something. You said she did her usual thing before we got her, so depression's out. That means she's dropping hints, probably to you."

Vincent said as he thought, "Come to think of it… She has been asking for my opinion a lot. Still, how do I know what she's hinting at?"

Haku shrugged as he conceded, "Beats me. Lilith is a lot of things, but nuanced isn't one of them. So her trying to be subtle would be very confusing."

Vincent pushed further, "Well, what about you? You seem good at this kind of thing with Akane-chan; how do you keep up with this?"

Haku chuckled and admitted, "Well, granted, I'm in comfortable position. First of all, I'm totally head-over-heels for Akane; so being me, I'm always looking to do things to impress her, even if they're just little things. Then, Akane-chan being who she is, she's going to want things, but she's probably never going to outright ask for them. So, I have to pick up on hints from her, which is fine by me."

Vincent solemnly said, "You make it sound so easy."

Haku reassured his friend, "Maybe, but only because it comes natural to us. Akane-chan and I are so close because we naturally complement each other. That's all you and Lilith-chan need to do; just find a good place where you both naturally connect, and everything else will fall into place."

Vincent sighed as he commented, "I guess you're right … but it still sounds easier said than done…"

Meanwhile, Akane and Lilith sat outside on a nearby table…

Akane asked with concern, "What do you need to talk to me about, Lilith-chan?"

Lilith somberly relayed, "Oh, my dear Akane, I need guidance because I am at a loss… Things don't seem to be going the way I foresaw."

Akane sympathetically said, "Oh, I'm sorry to hear that. So, what's the problem?"

Lilith expressed, "Well, things with Vincent aren't going as well as I thought they would, definitely not as I'd hoped."

"With Yushin-san…?" Akane exclaimed in surprise, "What could be going wrong?"

Lilith went on to explain, "It's just … he doesn't seem to be as attentive as I expected. He's yet to even pick up on any of my hints to him."

Akane suggested, "Hints? That doesn't sound much like you at all. Are you sure this is the best way to reach Yushin-san?"

"It works well enough for you, Akane." Lilith pointed out.

Taken aback, Akane asked, "Me? You're trying to take after … me?"

"Well, yes…" Lilith confessed, before persisting, "Honestly, I wasn't sure what to expect from this or any relationship but then … I noticed you and Haku together. You two are so close, so true to one another, and just so right as a pair. Your romance is so just evident; it's clear that … you both are so happy being together. You and Haku are sort of my relationship role models. I just want what you two have for Vincent and I."

Akane blushed with a smile before encouraging Lilith, "Thank you. It's true that Haku and I enjoy each other … but how we relate comes from who we are. And I don't think our way is right for you and Yushin-san. Ha-kun is spirited and affectionate, so it's easy for him to pick up hints. Yushin-san is wise and respectful, so anything out of character would only confuse him.. Simply be yourself, Lilith-chan, and I'm sure you and Yushin-san will be closer."

"I certainly hope so…" Lilith said, "Oh, we should go back now; they're probably wondering what's happened to us."

Finally, the girls stood up, brushed their skirts with their hands, and walked back to Haku and Yushin… Later, the couples were leisurely strolling through the park, Haku with his arm around Akane, Yushin and Lilith holding hands. Eventually, they came across a game stand with colored stuffed plush animals hung all around it. Akane soon noticed, looking over, and averted her eyes, but then turned back to it right away. Haku, of course, noticed, and upon piecing it together, did something about it.

Haku casually excused himself from the group, and approached the booth, a 'knock over the bottles' game. He handed the teller some money, and the teller, who failed to recognize him, handed him three baseballs for his three chances. Ready to strike, he focused some power with a small electrical crack around his hand, and made a pitch… CRASH! He made a strike and shattered the bottles in the process! The next two throws ended the same way: three pitches yielded three strikes and reduced nine bottles to shattered pieces. The teller stood in awe of this feat until she looked him in the face and saw who he was.

Happy about his accomplishment, Haku picked out the large red stuffed panda Akane was eyeing. He hid it behind his back as he rejoined the group, and smiled as he gladly presented the new present to his girlfriend. Akane gasped slightly before happily receiving it, hugging it warmly, and gave him an affectionate kiss in return. Practically melting from the moment, Lilith couldn't resist; she had to try one more time. But this time, she decided to change her tactics and be less subtle…

She found a stand she found adequate, and remarked, "Vincent-dear, that stand sure looks intriguing, and those prizes are just adorable."

Vincent looked, and remembering something she said previously, responded, "Yes, they do look nice."

Lilith persisted, "You know something… I think I really want one of those."

Completely missing the point, Vincent replied, "Then, you should have one. It shouldn't be that hard to obtain."

Lilith paused to see if the hint sunk in, and when it went nowhere, said in her sweetest voice, "Yushin-dear, could you please win me a prize?"

"You want me to … what?" Vincent said in confusion.

Lilith, surprised at his reaction, commented, "You're … not going to?"

Vincent explained, "No, it's just… You want me to win something that you want for you? You hate it when I try to win contest in your name; when I 'treat you like a trophy' you say. And you want me to win one of those prizes, even you've said they're 'tacky'?"

Seeing that he's missed it, Lilith sighs and conceded in exasperation, "Very well; don't worry about it, then."

Even before she walked away, Vincent could hear the dissatisfaction in her voice, and face-palmed himself as he said to himself, "Oh, that was a hint, wasn't it? Nice going there, Yushin; how could you be so stupid?"

Later, all four were situated in Yushin's car with Akane and Haku in the back holding hands, Akane holding her prize close. Lilith sat in the front passenger's seat, quietly staring out the window. Yushin drove with the radio low, and noticing Lilith's silence, knew he had screwed up. Eventually, they reached the path to Akane and Haku's homes. Haku patted Yushin on the shoulder to wish him good luck; Akane waved farewell to her friends; the couple unbuckled themselves and slid out of the car.

Yushin and Lilith continued on, but Yushin soon pulled over into a parking lot, Lilith looking at him when she noticed. Yushin paused for a moment and gave her a remorseful look as a silent apology, but Lilith crossed her arms and turned away with a whip of her hair in an angry rejection. Yushin took her hand to get her attention, Lilith slightly turning back to him. He then knocked on his forehead and placed his free hand over his heart to acknowledge his ineptitude and again ask for forgiveness, but Lilith only sighed and shook her head in uncertainty.

Yushin persisted by kissing the back of her hand and slowly going up her arm with kisses, a gesture she enjoyed; Lilith giggled at this, but pulled her arm away and playfully pointed at him to indicate she knew what he was doing. Yushin tired more by getting close, brushing her hair back, and kissing her neck. Lilith giggled again at the show of affection and even let him keep going before gently pushing him back. Finally, Vincent took her hands in his, and held them to his chest to once more ask for forgiveness. Lilith looked away before nodding with a smile to accept the apology.

The two came together and engaged in a kiss, going from affectionate to passionate. They pulled each other closer and held the caress for several moments. Finally, they separated, and Lilith playfully fanned herself to silently suggest the 'heat' between them. Yushin just chuckled, and they drove off again...

_**Dark Cloud Still Missing**_

Sven Alexandersson walked through Tekken Force Headquarters, just thinking on his day and his ongoing search. Suddenly, an odd feeling came over him, an uneasy anticipation like something was coming towards. The change in the air and surroundings indicated something he was familiar with; someone was close. However, he stopped and remained calm, listened and readied himself for whatever was coming next. But, he didn't have to wait long…

"What are you doing , Sven-san?" a voice asked from beside him.

The surprise caused him to jump, but he quickly relaxed as he knew this voice. Sven looked to his side to a familiar young woman with long black hair and distinctive eyes: her left one blue and her right brownish-red…

"Ms. Jun…" Sven said as he continued to calm down, "You snuck up on me there."

"I'm sorry; I didn't mean to set off your alarms."

Sven wondered aloud, "It's fine; the most important thing is … why you came all this way."

Jun responded with curiosity and concern, "I just wanted to know how the search was going. Do you have any leads on … him?"

Sven explained somberly, "Unfortunately, our search is going nowhere fast… So far, Kamikage is holding true to his name. All his properties are abandoned. All his associates have lost all signs of him or gone missing themselves. His assets have even been emptied before they could be frozen. It's just like he just disappeared in a puff of smoke."

"Hmm… Just as I expected."

"You … expected that?" Sven said out of confusion.

"Yeah…" Jun said with concern, "And that's what I'm afraid of. Lately, this whole thing has me … I don't know; anxious, on edge … maybe even scared. I think … it feels like he's not just still around, and he's not just planning something… It feels like he's getting closer. Whatever he's got in store, I think he's going to pull it soon, and it won't be pretty."

Sven paused to soak in Jun's testimony before saying, "That's … very scary. And how are you getting these feelings?"

Jun explained, "Oh, it's, uh … the special training I'm doing with Asuka-sama. My focus and senses have really increased … with obviously mixed results…"

Sven then pointed out, "And it's made you a lot faster too… Still, if what you're feeling is right, then I have a lot more work to do."

"Thanks, Sven-san…" Jun offered along with a pat on his back.

Sven succinctly replied, "Of course…"

With that, Jun and Sven went their separate ways… It wasn't long after that that Jun ran into another friend. In fact, it was right around the corner. This friend stood out in this setting with her short blond hair, loose t-shirt, and jeans…

"Van-chan?" Jun expressed with a little surprise, "You're here."

Van rubbed the back of her head as she said with odd nervousness, "Yeah, well, uh… I just dropped by to, uh… Well, you know…"

Understanding, Jun said with a smile, "Yeah, I do… And you're in luck too."

Van asked out of confusion as Jun poked back around the corner, "I am? Jun, what are you…"

Jun didn't wait to explain as she yelled down the hall, "Sven-san! Could you come here, please? Someone's here to see you!"

Mortified, Van expressed as Jun turned back to her, "What did you do that for? I'm not ready. He can't see me like this…"

But, it was too late. Sven came around the corner, and his eyes immediately landed on Van…

Sven offered as he broke in to a smile, "Oh, hello, Vanessa."

Van pushed through to respond, "Hi, Sven."

Satisfied with herself, Jun said, "Okay, I have to go now. You two, play nice…"

Jun simply departed, and Sven and Van were just left there, stuck in each other's company with both unsure of how to move forward…

Sven eventually asked, "So, Vanessa, what can I do for you?"

Van said hesitantly, "Well, I just, uh… wanted to ask how your search was going."

Sven said with slight dejection, "Honestly, not well. I don't have any leads on Kamikage Nodachi right now. It's incredible how fast he just dropped off the radar."

Van asked further, "And Susano Jashin, the guy who attacked my brother?"

Sven explained, "Likely with Kamikage; he's disappeared too… Everything's in the wind and time is running out. I just wish I had something to go on, anything at all."

There was silence between them until Van got an idea, "Actually, Sven… I think I can help. Maybe I can get us something…"

Finally outside, Jun 'called' upon her transport. She closed her eyes as she focused inward and called upon both her Kazama power and her devil gene. In a process her father had done many times, she activated the gene and used the power to purify it. It was a difficult and strong mixing of conflicting energies, and required a lot of Jun's focus to maintain … but she did it. A pair of large majestic wings with pristine white feathers sprout from her back, and as she caught the wind, Jun took flight.

_**Happy Deluge**_

Haku and Akane strolled leisurely down the stone path, Haku's arm naturally around her shoulders, Akane with one arm around Haku's waist and the other holding the stuffed bear to her chest.

Haku soon asked as the thought appeared in his mind, "Akane-chan, do you think Yushin-san and Lilith-chan are going to be alright?"

Akane responded as she thought, "Hmm… I'm not sure; Lilith-chan seemed really disappointed in the car. But, if anyone can figure this out, it's Yushin-san."

"I guess so." Haku continued, "I mean, he sounded really lost back at the park … but I agree with you. Besides, those two care about each other enough to meet halfway on this."

Akane thought aloud, "It makes you wonder … if the same thing will happen to us."

Haku reassured her, "Disagreements? Misunderstandings? Probably, but that's nothing to worry about. When it does come, you and I will face it together, and we'll get over it… We'll be okay, Akane-chan."

As the emotion reached them both, they stopped, and their eyes met in a familiar gaze. Haku and Akane drew closer until another familiar feeling interrupted them: drops of water from above. In the midst of their romancing, they had failed to notice the dark clouds gathering overhead or the wind picking up. The next moment, the sky broke open, and the torrent ensued. They were quickly drenched as they sprinted down the path, and eventually came to the small white gazebo that marked the halfway point of the walkway. Akane and Haku looked at each other soaking wet under their small haven, completely incredulous at first … but eventually they broke into laughter.

Haku said happily as he brushed the water from his clothes, "Well, this is an exciting end to the day."

A smile on her face as well, Akane replied as she wrung out her skirt, "I'll say, especially after a day like this." She put her bear down on the nearby bench, took the Haku's hands, and continued, "Thank you so much, Ha-kun, for everything. I had so much fun today."

Haku replied with a satisfied smile, "I'm glad you had a good time; you know I'm happy when you're happy."

Akane added, "But the best part of this day…"

"Yeah?"

"I got to spend it with you…" Akane said sweetly, "I'm so glad that I'm with you."

Even Haku blushed as he said with a smile, "Wow… Be careful; keep talking like that and you might inflate my ego." Akane giggled at the comment as Haku continued, "But seriously … I'm glad you'll have me."

Just then, the couple noticed how the rain affected them. Haku saw how her drenched shirt hugged and accented her chest and how the rain had made her skin softer and warmer. Likewise, Akane saw how his drenched shirt clung to and showed his defined abs and how his eyes glimmer even more brilliantly against the dark and rainy surroundings. Not holding back, they came together and kissed with passion and eagerness. They unconsciously rocked back-and-forth as their lips mingled, caressed, danced, and massaged one another. Their desire rose; Akane held Haku close while lightly grabbing his hair, and Haku ran his hands down her sides until he reached and held on to her hips.

When they broke for a breath, Akane let out as they blissfully rested their heads on each other's shoulders, "I love you."

Haku looked up see her face and asked with more than a little surprise, "What … did you say?"

"I said I …" Akane stopped as she realized just what she said, and admitted with a blush, "I-I love you…"

Haku smiled at their shared milestone as he said, "That's what I thought. I love you too."

Akane's eyes lit up as he echoed the first-time declaration, and they shared an affectionate kiss just as the rain subsided.

End Chapter

_**A/N: **_** That's the end. Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed. The next chapter… I have to tell you it's heavy. So again, thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed, and most of all, I hope you come back to read more. Please R&R, and as always, Rant, Rave, and Review. **


	3. Total Assault of the Heart

_Disclaimer: I don't own Tekken…_

_**A/N: **_**Welcome, everyone. Thank you for stopping by, and I hope you enjoy. As I said, this chapter is quite brutal, so let me just state it plainly: for the more sensitive readers, there is some cruel violence in this chapter. If you want to avoid the nastiness, simply skip down to the third section of the chapter. Well, with that warning out of the wait, I'll get to the actual story. And here … we … go:**

The King of Iron Tournament 9: Break the Cycle

Total Assault to the Heart

_**Last Reach**_

In Madrid, Spain, Vanessa was visiting a totera stadium, having skipping the promoted bullfight but was intent on seeing its star… Esmeralda Raquel Rojo. Soon, she'd made her way to the back of the small arena past the locker rooms, and came to a special dressing room with a star on the door. Under the star were the words 'totera especial Rojo'. With a single hesitation, she pushed her anxiety down, and entered. It was a medium-sized room with a love seat on the right and a large, lighted vanity mirror on the far wall. To the left stood a wardrobe with multiple dresses and matador outfits hanging within, in odd juxtaposition to one another.

Sitting in front of the mirror was the person Van was looking for, her short and wavy hair styled close to her head, in a red flamenco dress, choker necklace with a flower around her neck, seemingly putting make-up on…

"I'm sorry…" Esmeralda spoke in Spanish, "The show is over for now; please come back next time."

Van tentatively spoke up, "Sorry for barging in like this, but I really need to speak to you."

The Spanish lady stopped dead and slowly put her implements down, but she didn't speak or even look…

With even more caution, Van continued, "I know you're probably busy, and I doubt you remember me, but I really…"

Esmeralda hostilely interrupted, "Don't worry; I remember you perfectly. How could my first loss? Why would you, of all people, come this far to see me?"

Van tried to appeal, saying, "I came because … I really, really, really need your help."

Esmeralda spun her chair around, saying, "That's very impudent of you. Why in the world would I lift a finger to help you?"

Van paused before making a nervous joke, "Out of the goodness of your heart…?"

Unmoved, Esmeralda deadpanned, "I'm afraid I'm all out of that. Try again."

Van sincerely entreated with the Spanish lady, "Please. My friends are in trouble, and they don't have a lot of time. You're the only one I can think of who may have something we can use. Please."

Esmeralda coldly responded, "My heart bleeds. I still doesn't mean I'll help."

Van suggested out of sheer desperation, "Well, what if I give you something, anything? Is there anything I can give you that'll change your mind?

"From you…?" Esmeralda paused as she slowly stood before saying, "There's only one thing I'll ever accept from you." Esmeralda clenched her fists and popped her knuckles, sending a clear message as to what was on her mind.

Van simply sighed and conceded, "If that's what it'll take… We'll take this outside."

"Actually…" Esmeralda said before discreetly grabbing in the back of her chair, "Why do we have to wait?"

With a simple flip of her hand, Esmeralda sent the chair flying at Van, and rushed after it. Van knocked the seat aside, but couldn't deflect the next part of the assault as Esmeralda kicked her into the door and connecting with a right cross. The Spanish totera proceeded to punch a hole in the door as Van ducked under the attack, and the young spelunker responded in kind by pushing her attacker back with a shoulder block. Van pushed forward, striking with elbows to the chest and the chin, and dashed forward with a straight punch, but only impacted the mirror, shattering it as Esmeralda sidestepped out of danger. Esmeralda answered with knees to Van's gut and chin, and drove her enemy into and through the dressing room door.

The fight that ensued was definitely not a catfight and wasn't even a martial arts fight. The battle was a straightforward, no-holds-barred, ruthless brawl. Fists and elbows were thrown. Feet stomped and kicked. Anything that could even vaguely be construed as a weapon was used to painful effect. Even though no one was around to witness it, it was truly a painful and disturbing spectacle to occur. Van, however, suffered the worst of it. She simply wasn't accustomed to such unbridled violence. Esmeralda, on the other hand, was right at home literally and figuratively, and also a lot more clever with her methods of punishment.

The fight migrated all the way to bullfighters' entrance, where Esmeralda knocked Van clean the door. Seeing Van faltering, the Spanish totera decided it was time to give a finishing shot, and followed her into the bullfighting ring. A few spectators were actually still hanging around in the stands, and needless to say, grew very interested when two women suddenly appeared in the ring. Esmeralda fought a nearby cape, threw it over Van's head as the young spelunker slowly got to her feet, pulled out a pair of castanets and began to play them as she danced around her confused and disoriented opponent.

As she danced and played, the Spanish lady transitioned it into a pummeling, interrupting the flamenco movement with stiff punches and well-placed Savate kicks. The onlookers meanwhile cheered at the show Esmeralda was putting on while getting the better of her opponent. Soon, Esmeralda beat Van back to the ground, and ended the fight in brutally grandiose fashion; she jumped onto Van's back, spun viciously on her spine, and finally gave a forceful stomp right on Van's kidneys. The young spelunker could only writhe in pain as Esmeralda spun off of her to the applause of the impromptu spectators…

That was fun…" Esmeralda calmly said as she straightened herself up, "And if I'm counting right, this makes us even."

Van simply groaned in pain as she threw the cape off of and clutched her still-aching back…

"Now then…" Esmeralda said as she approached her fallen combatant, "How exactly can I help you?"

Van struggled up to her knees and requested with difficulty, "I need … you to tell … me everything your boss has been planning … since the tournament…"

Esmeralda paused for a brief period before relaying, "Well, it seems your luck is even worse then you thought… I haven't been in the group very long, so even if he is planning something, he hasn't and probably won't tell me about it."

Van fell onto her back, and expressed under her breath in exasperated disbelief, "Oh man; are you kidding me?"

Seeing the frustration and disappointment, Esmeralda decided to offer at least something, and continued, "Listen, I do wish I could tell you more, but because of what you gave me tonight, I'll tell you what I know."

Van sat up, and said, "Anything helps; thank you."

Esmeralda revealed as she thought, "As for my 'boss' as you call him, he's definitely different than before… I mean, he was intense before, but now … he almost completely mad. Your friends… When he lost to them, I think it broke him … because he's just snapped. He's obsessed, pacing back and forth, ranting on and on. He's even started threatening us on a regular basis…"

That definitely wasn't a good sign for Van. She absently looked off as she processed it all and all its implications. Then, a large chill spread through her entire body even in the Spanish heat.

Esmeralda went on to deduce, "If he is planning something… it will definitely be something truly evil."

* * *

><p><em><strong>Sin Against Us<strong>_

Akane walked down a nature path alone, cutting through a park on her way home, when she suddenly got a bad feeling. The sky had darkened as storm clouds began rolling. A chilling wind was whipping through the area. All wildlife was scattering to shelter. But most unsettling was the very real and very strong feeling like … she was being followed. Unable to stand it much longer, she suddenly stopped when the feeling became too heavy, and put her purse down in anticipation for a fight…

Out of nowhere, she was grabbed from behind, and had a wet rag forced over her nose and mouth. Quickly, she got out of it with an elbow to her attacker's gut, and put space between them with a 'monkey kick'. When she stood up however, she was fell into extreme dizziness from the obvious liquid on the cloth … ether. Before her vision became too hazy, she turned to see her attacker was a hooded man. Seeing Akane was groggy, the assailant dashed forward, and sprayed a cloud of gas into her face… The red-haired girl was unconscious in seconds.

Slowly, Akane stirred awake, feeling immediate discomfort, and soon realized her situation. Her location seemed to be an empty warehouse with the only man-made light being a single light bulb right over her. A large rolling door was open some ways away, showing the coming storm outside. She was held upright in place … by chains. Her arms were shackled and crossed at the wrists over her head. Her ankles were also cuffed together and chained to the floor. Oddly enough, she was chained up just enough to leave her midsection unprotected but still close enough to the ground that she could get just enough footing under her.

Akane was quickly alarmed by approaching footsteps, and looked up to see a man slightly step into the light. In short, the man was a mess; his obviously once-nice business suit was now wrinkled and disheveled like he slept in it. His shirt tail hung all the way out. One of his cuff links was missing. The once-brilliant watch on his wrist had long stopped working. His once-shaven face was now covered in rough stubble. His slick hair was now messy and unkempt, looking like hands had been run through it way too many times. Despite all of this, his face was unmistakable; this was Kamikage Nodachi.

Akane, her situation greatly enhancing her already present fear of this man, started to panic and tried to get away. She frightfully and desperately pulled at the chains confining her, but they wouldn't budge. Her leg chains were even affixed so that she couldn't even bend at her waist. Kamikage noticed her eventually inhale in preparation to scream, dashed over and put his hand over her mouth, stifling the noise. Holding her mouth closed, he pulled out and flipped open his switchblade, immediately grabbing her attention. Then, he spoke. His voice moved with an odd and disturbing effect. Before it was calm and steady, but now his pitch was wildly inconsistent, wavering from kind of high to deep and shifting from cordial to menacing. Moe than anything, it felt as if he could let out words, and had no control over his tone or manner.

"Listen, before we start, there's one thing you need to understand…" Kamikage said as he held up the knife, "Your life is not in danger. Okay? I know you might be scared, but you can relax because I'm not going to kill you. I really, really need you alive. In fact, if someone tried to kill you right now, I would kill them. That's how much your life means to me right now…"

Terrified, Akane shook and broke into a cold sweat all over, as she was completely helpless. Of course, Kamikage made it much worse; he pressed the side of the cold blade against her cheek. Akane let out a muffled shriek at the cold steel and sharp edge against her skin…

Kamikage continued, "But, if you want it to stay that way, I need you to do one thing for me. I need you … to not scream. When people scream … it makes me nervous. My hands start to … slip. Neither of us wants that, so please tell me you won't scream. Promise me you won't scream."

He then pressed his knife down harder. Scared out of her mind, Akane began to tear up from terror, and having no choice but hope he was telling the truth, slowly nodded in agreement…

Taking his hand away, Kamikage expressed, "Good; that's perfect."

Tears of fear rolling down her face, Akane asked, " What do you want from me?"

Kamikage flipped his knife closed and put it away as he answered, "Oh, that's the easy part. All I want is for you … to give your friends … a message."

Akane tentatively asked, "Message…? W-What … What kind of message…?"

Kamikage slowly circled around her back as he explained, "Don't worry; it won't be difficult to remember at. In fact … you won't have to say one … single … word…"

THUD! Kamikage suddenly and swiftly drove his fist into Akane's kidneys, and the shock and strength racked her entire body with pain. She barely held her scream to but a gasp, and it was so powerful that she actually wanted to fall down to escape another shot but couldn't. The mad man proceeded to pound away at her back, spreading his bone-rattling shots from her kidneys to her sides to even her shoulder blades. Every blow was potent and sadistic, and the impact sent a painful ripple through Akane's body from her fingers to her toes, even shaking her insides.

Akane let out gasps and low shrieks of pain, and tears streamed down her face from each blow. No respite or relief would come. She couldn't pull her legs up to protect herself in any way, and she couldn't lay down with her arms strung up. Her midsection was completely open to punishment, and she could cry from the torture to keep from screaming. Kamikage eventually stopped, and Akane dropped her head to catch her breath and try to let the pain pass. The vicious assailant circled back around to her front, and eerily moved her hair away from her face. Akane looked up at him, and Kamikage could see her crying heavily from anguish and horror…

THUD! He again drove his fist forcefully and brutally into Akane's body , this time right into her gut. She let out a loud gasp as all the air rushed out of her, and the blow actually struck her bladder, causing it to release briefly. Akane started to cry out but began to choke on something thick and warm in her throat. The blockage in her throat caused her to cough until she spit out a fine spray of blood onto Kamikage. With odd gentleness, he lightly wiped the crimson from her mouth with his shirt sleeve…

THUD! THUD! THUD! Kamikage battered her midsection just as he did to her back, moving from her abdomen to her ribs, and attacked her as if she were a punching bag. Akane felt her body giving way under his power, and soon the pain in her back compounded and blended into the pain from her present assault. At this point, she couldn't even make a noise with her air driven out of her body. Her tears, however, continued to flow, with these being forced out of her by Kamikage's heartless beating.

Finally, Kamikage ceased, and took her down from the ceiling, unhooking the chains on her wrist and leg shackles. Akane, right away, did something that she had tried to do but couldn't moments before, and crumbled to the ground, in too much pain to even stand. She protectively and desperately clutched her throbbing and aching torso, coughing due to her burning insides…

Kamikage commented, his voice unchanged from before, "You know, I see why the boy cherishes you; you're such a beautiful girl…"

Akane weakly pushed against his knee, and pleaded through fearful agonized tears, "Please… Please stop…"

Kamikage nonchalantly moved her still-shackled hands aside. THUD! With impunity, he planted a merciless boot into her ribs. The kick caused a rush inside Akane started, one she couldn't hope to hold back, and she threw up the immediate contents of her stomach, the rejection colored red from blood. Moving forward with his finishing touch, he roughly yanked her up to her feet, took out the handkerchief in his shirt, and, basically having to hold her up, wiped her mouth clean again with eerie empathy, tossing the used cloth to the ground right after. The heartless attacker pulled her closer to the door, punched her viciously across her face, holding her up as she staggered from the recoil, and mercilessly punched her on the other side of her face, this time letting her hit the ground. Both times, Kamikage was careful to not hit hard enough to knock her out, but just enough to do what he wanted: leave a mark.

Lying on the ground in pain, Akane felt her right eye beginning to swell right away. Her face began to burn as the bruises set in. Blood trickled from her nose and the corner of her mouth. But, finally, mercifully, it was all over: Kamikage finally unshackled her wrists and ankles, and Akane quickly covered her head and curled up, not sure what to hold first. He stepped into the darkness momentarily, returning seconds later, and tossed her purse at her feet…

His erratic but nonchalant mood still unchanged, Kamikage offered, "That's all I have to say. You can go now."

Akane was understandably hesitant and fearful about the possibility of the whole thing being a trap, and even if it wasn't, she was in so much pain she wasn't sure if she could even stand. Slowly, she took her purse in hand, and tentatively crawled backward while keeping her eyes on Kamikage. Seeing her reluctance, he decided to 'help' her along: he quickly walked up to her, grabbed a handful of her hair and a handful of her blouse, and roughly pulled to her feet again…

Kamikage, his disturbing demeanor still unfazed, said as her eyes began to tear up again, "Seriously… You really need to go now."

The red-haired girl struggled to stay up with her torso so battered and weakened that she could barely keep her legs under her. Still, Akane ignored the immense pain enough to quickly walk away, and took one last look back at Kamikage just as she exited and the sky opened with a crack of lightning…

Akane was in obviously dire straits. She staggered on as it began to drizzle, each step causing her body to pulse with pain. Her arms wrapped around her torso gave her very little relief. Her tears of pain stung against her bruised and sore face. It was nothing short of torturous to walk, but she needed desperately to get to some safety. Eventually, she came to a long alleyway leading to a well-lit area, and made her way through it to come out in the commercial section of Shinjuku. Recognizing the place right away, she didn't suffer through anymore, slumped onto the nearby shop, and slide down to her knees.

Rain began to pick up, drenching her quickly, and the cold from the deluge caused her pain to dull and spread through her entire body until it was torture to even move slightly. Pushing through once more, Akane took out her phone, took a picture of the adjacent street, and typed out the distress message: '_911 SOS'_. Lastly, she sent both the text and picture to Haku. With her call for help finally sent out, she let her arms fall listlessly to her sides, and could only wait, enduring as the cold rain kept her from even passing out to escape the pain.

* * *

><p>Haku, Jun, and Yushin piled into Yushin's car, rushing to the street in Akane's picture…<p>

Haku anxiously urged on, "Hurry, Yushin-san. Can't we go any faster?"

Vincent, focused on driving through the conditions, expressed, "I'm going as fast as I can. We can't help Akane-chan if we hydroplane into a ditch. Do we know how bad the situation is?"

Jun fearfully stated, "It's bad; I can feel it. We need to get to her."

Moments later, they reached the street, and started looking around for their distressed friend…

"There she …" Haku started as he saw before exclaiming, "Pull over. Pull over! Let me out!"

Yushin quickly pulled over, and Haku exploded out of the car into the deluge. The young Kazama sprinted down the street, and knelt next to her…

As she stirred, Haku exclaimed in horror as he surveyed her injuries, "Akane-chan! Oh God! What happened to you? Oh God!"

Akane looked around in a daze at the presence next to her until her eyes focused to see it was Haku. Immediately, she desperately clung to him, pulling them close, and cried hysterically into his chest from a combination of trauma, relief, and renewed security. Haku put his arms around her, and started to hold her but quickly let go when he vaguely made out the large bruises on her back.

Haku expressed with concern as he waved to Vincent and Jun, "Oh, man… It's alright, Akane-chan. It's alright; I got you. We're gonna get you help, okay? Just hang on; I got you."

Yushin pulled the car right next to the curb, and without delay or loss of motion, Haku scooped up Akane in his arms, grabbed her bag, and quickly ducked into the backseat. Both Yushin and Haku looked back and gazed in horror and shock at the heavily injured Akane…

"Go, go, go! We need to get to the hospital now!" Haku urgently snapped at them to break their trance.

Yushin wasted no more time, and sped off. Jun's gaze did not break from the saddening and disturbing sight until she had to turn away once the shock stopped from the realization of what had happened to her friend. Haku cradles Akane's upper body in his arms, trying to comfort her as he was lost in the flood of emotions took over him. Akane, after everything she had and was actively suffering, drifted in and out consciousness, but not once did she let go of Haku, her true assurance that she was finally safe.

End Chapter

_**A/N:**_** Whew; there you have it. I know that was a little rough, but I'm afraid the next chapter won't be much happier. Also, the next one might run a little long, so keep that in mind. Thank you for reading, I really hope you enjoyed it, and I really hope you come back to read more. Please R&R, and as always, Rant, Rave, and Review.**


	4. PaybackFire pt1

_Disclaimer: I don't own Tekken…_

_**A/N: **_**Greetings; thank you for stopping in. Well, the last chapter was pretty brutal, but I'm afraid this one won't offer much relief. It's also so long that I had to cut into two parts. Anyway, time for part one; and here … we … go:**

The King of Iron Fist Tournament 9: Break the Cycle

Payback-Fire pt.1

Again, the group found themselves at the hospital. The beating sounds of monitors, the jarringly pure aesthetic, the unflinchingly sterile smell… It was a dreadfully familiar setting. Akane had been placed in a large hospital room mostly reserved for people with large families and rightfully so. All the scions, Xiaoyu, and her parents were huddled into the room while Lee, Sven, and the other parents were right outside the door. The doctor soon approached the room, and recoiled in surprise at the sheer amount of people. A feeling of dread ran through her at what she had to tell them as she looked at the clipboard with Akane's prognosis on it. Eventually, she stepped in the room, and everyone gave her their attention…

The doctor said with difficulty, "I … need to ask that only the patient's family stay for her prognosis."

Some of them shifted their weight. Some looked around momentarily… Not one of them budged.

"Please understand…" the doctor continued with even more difficulty, "The details are quite hard to hear, and… I'm only allowed to tell the immediate family."

Begrudgingly, they did as she asked with only Akane's parents, Xiaoyu, and the twins remaining. The doctor started to say something to the Kazama family, but chilling death stares from Jun and Haku convinced her otherwise.

With fear and anxiety, Miharu shakily asked, "Well, doctor, how… How is she?"

The doctor looked at the clipboard with a sigh and somberly relayed, "Well, ma'am, I'm sorry to say, but your daughter is in very bad condition. Most of her ribs are bruised, and her left shoulder blade is fractured. The bruising on her internal organs is much more severe than we are used to seeing, which has led to some mild internal bleeding. It's sadly obvious she's in intense pain."

Haku asked for the whole group, the words getting caught midway out, "Whoever did this, did they… Did they, um…"

Miharu and Hayashi grew visibly more anxious and disturbed, knowing what Haku was asking. Xiaoyu shuttered and turned pale at the very thought. The possibility caused Jun to flicker with anger before calming herself to hear the response…

Recognizing the question, the doctor responded, "Actually … that seems to be a rare bright spot in all this: she was not sexually assaulted." The family gave a silent sigh of relief before the doctor continued, "Still, this attack was one of the more vicious ones I've ever seen, and, most troubling, the cause is still unknown; it wasn't about defiling her, and she wasn't robbed, so money wasn't a factor. This was just pure violence."

The adults looked at Akane in sadness over the news. Haku and Jun simply looked at each other; they knew why she was attacked … which only made the feelings worse….

The doctor saw everyone's dejection and offered, "If it's any consolation, thing will only get better from here. She's in a lot of pain now, but she'll make a full recovery. Despite her multiple contusions, she didn't sustain any internal tears or organ failure, so she won't need surgery. In fact, some grown men wouldn't have fared as well as she did, and some might not even have survived… She is a very strong young woman."

Unfortunately, while the compliment didn't fall on deaf ears, it did little to quell the heaviness in the room. Xiaoyu soon noticed some photos on the clipboard, and gently took them. She and Jun cringed and gasped with incredulousness at what they were seeing. Haku took one glance and promptly passed them back, a pained look on his face. Miharu and Hayashi looked through the photos with horror and despair. They were viewing pictures of Akane's injuries: her fair skin was emblazoned with deep black-and-purple bruises on her back and midsection. Her broken shoulder blade was visible through her skin. Ligature marks were slightly visible on her wrists and ankles. Her cheeks were bruised, and her left eye was black, even her tears visible in the pictures.

"Oh God…" Miharu remarked under breath as she started to cry as well.

Meanwhile, Jun moved to the window after viewing the disturbing evidence, where her sadness and regret … shifted to anger. Soon, her feelings built and built until it was too much. BASH! With a single punch, she cracked the window, and stormed out of the room. Xiaoyu quickly ran after her daughter. Akane couldn't take seeing her daughter in such pain had to leave; Hayashi followed after his wife to comfort her. The bad news delivered, the doctor solemnly exited the room as well. Haku, however, didn't budge from Akane's side. Xiaoyu soon caught up to Jun…

Xiaoyu said reassuringly, "Jun-chan, please calm down. You can't help Akane-chan if you're this upset."

"It's too late. I'm too late to help her, mom." Jun cryptically replied.

Xiaoyu held her daughter close and said lovingly, "That's not true, sweetheart. She can use a lot of help, and besides… You heard the doctor: she's going to be fine. Everything is going to be alright, dear."

"No, mom; it's not…" Jun said as she tried and failed to hold back tears, "The person who did this… They were after us. That's why they didn't take anything from her. They wanted to hurt Haku-kun and me, and she paid for it…" Jun stopped momentarily as her tears began to stream down her face, but continued, saying, "After Yushin-kun got hurt, I promised I wouldn't let any more people we care about get hurt. Mom, I could feel it; I just sensed something was wrong … and I still couldn't stop it. I work hard to protect everyone, and … I still failed her."

As Jun tried desperately to hold back sobs, Xiaoyu hugged her close and said comfortingly, "Oh, sweetheart… I know what you're going through; I know."

Jun hugged her mother in return, and said through tears, "She got hurt so bad, mom, and… She didn't even do anything except be our friend."

Xiaoyu pulled back slightly, held Jun's cheeks, wiping her tears away in the process, and looked in her eyes as she said, "I know, Jun-chan. But please realize: this isn't your fault… There are some horrible people out there, and they do horrible things… Still, Akane-chan is strong, and you are, too. And right now, you need to be strong for her and your brother too. Can you do that?" Jun soon calmed down, and gave a simple nod. Xiaoyu responded, "I know you can."

Haku sat silently in a chair right next to Akane's bed as he agonized over the situation she had endured. He'd barely left her side since she got admitted; in fact, he'd barely reacted to anything in that time. He attempted to comfort her in the brief time she was awake. Mentally, Haku was a mess with his emotions rapidly cascading from anger to sadness to anxiety to even fear and back again.

Suddenly, he felt a shaking in his pocket, hearing a chiming noise along with it. Holding on to Akane's phone, Haku realized the disturbance was coming from it, and extracted it. The screen indicated she had a new message, so, curious to who it could be, Haku read it … and immediately dropped the phone on the bed. He stared in disbelief at what he just read, but he quickly boiled over when he realized just who the sender was. Formulating a plan right away, Haku calmly took Akane's hand…

"Don't worry, Akane-chan." Haku said quietly to her, "I'm gonna make sure this never happens to you again, or anyone else…"

Haku gave her hand a swift kiss, and began to leave. Akane, however, stirred from his words and looked just as he went out the door…

Approaching Vincent, Haku requested, "Yushin-san, can I borrow your keys? I left something in your car."

""Sure thing…" Vincent conceded as he tossed Haku the keys before saying half-jokingly, "No joyrides, okay?"

Haku nodded with a smirk and walked off… Lilith went back into the hospital room and was met with Akane's slight acknowledgment…

Lilith sympathetically said, "Oh, Akane, you're awake. How are you feeling? Is there anything I can do for you?" Akane simply shook her head in the negative, when Lilith noticed something off, asking, "Hmm, you don't know where Haku is, do you?"

Akane slowly pointed to the phone by her leg, and strained to reply, "He … left."

Lilith picked up the phone and tried to decipher the message when Jun walked in…

Noticing the arrival, Lilith asked, "Oh, Jun, perfect timing; I need your assistance." She explained as Jun came over, "My written Japanese is not up-to-par, so I'm unfamiliar with these expressions. Could you translate, please?"

Jun read the message, which was only two statements and a few lines of postal code…

Jun explained as she read, "The first statement, 'Kaisen Dankairaku', means 'waging a war with pleasure'… The second one says 'perpetually' or 'over and over'. The last part is … an address…"

Jun, like her brother, immediately dropped the phone on the bed as she knew right away who sent it. Torrents of emotions ran through when one singular question stuck out in her mind….

"W-Where … Where is Haku?" Jun asked with a shocked expression.

Confused and concerned over Jun's reaction, Lilith replied, "I-I don't know. Maybe Vincent will have some sort of clue."

Lilith immediately poked her head out of the room and called for Yushin. Moments later, he entered the room…

Jun desperately asked out of concern, "Yushin-san, please tell me… Did you see were Haku went?"

Vincent answered in confusion, "Uh, yeah… I mean, he went outside a few minutes ago. He needed to get into my car for something."

Jun went pale as she said to her injured friend, "Akane-chan, I'll be right back with Ku-kun. Just sit tight."

Akane gave a slight nod, all she could muster at the moment, and Jun took off. Left in a haze, Yushin looked at Lilith in confusion, and seeing him lost, Lilith showed him the message…

After taking one skim of the phone, Vincent gave a worried whisper, "Oh no…"

Far away at this point, Haku sped through the rain soaked streets, driving right toward address, seeing red…

"Kamikage, please…" Mitsuko pleaded in obvious worry, "You know I'm behind you in everything, but this…"

Staring out the window, Kamikage replied disjointedly, "We've already been through this. There'd no going back now; the time for this to end is here."

Mitsuko desperately suggested, reaching for any kind of hope, "Then, maybe… What if they don't come? What if they don't take the bait?"

"Stop it! Don't even say that!" Kamikage snapped at her before 'settling' his mania back down, "Besides, I doubt it. At the very least, the boy will come, and that will set my plan in motion."

Mitsuko took off her mask, walked right up to him, and looked him in his eyes as she entreated, "Please… I'm begging you. Please don't go through with this…"

Kamikage paused momentarily as he registered intense earnestness … but suddenly said, "You need to go now, so you don't get caught in the way. And take Susano and Dragunov with you…"

Mitsuko was at a lost. She didn't want to leave especially without him, but she just couldn't get him to come with her. All of this combined to make her sad, discouraged, frustrated, and … worst of all, helpless. All she could do was leave. A short time later, Esmeralda entered the room…

"You wanted to see me?"

"Yes; yes, yes, yes…" Kamikage said with unsettling cordiality, "I wanted to know how your recent homecoming went."

Esmeralda answered in suspicion, "Great. I needed it... I wish I could've stayed even longer."

"Good, good, good…" Kamikage said as he spun around, "And did you meet any old friends?"

Esmeralda answered with even more suspicion, "No, not really."

"Mmm…" Kamikage said as he subtly picked up a rod placed beside him, "That's not what I heard. In fact, I know that a certain … German girl paid you a little visit."

Esmeralda scoffed in a matter-of-fact way, "Hmph; she's not my friend, and I'm not hers either."

Kamikage said as he stepped a little closer to her, "Well, that's odd. You were close enough to reveal my plans to her … twice."

Esmeralda plainly answered with slight defiance, "The Chaolan guy wasn't a target the first time, and I didn't have anything to tell her the last time. I didn't even know you did anything until I got back.

Kamikage stepped a little bit closer, saying, "I guess I can be thankful for that. If I didn't know any better, I might think…"

Esmeralda impatiently interjected, "Listen. I'm sure this has a point somewhere, so could you just cut to it?"

Kamikage exclaimed with exaggerated disappointment, "What? Are you serious? You have no respect for dramatic set-up…" Again, he 'settled' mania back to manageable range, and conceded, "As you wish, I'll skip to the good part…"

Kamikage struck with uncanny speed and gave Esmeralda a shock … literally; the rod he attacked with was a high voltage cattle prod. The Spanish lady was immediately stunned and incapacitated as the intense bolt of electricity shot through her. She collapsed to the ground and convulsed as her body tightened and a painful numbness set in.

As Esmeralda writhed, Kamikage plainly said, "You're familiar with this, right? Isn't it used to tame wild bulls … teach them who's boss, and such?"

Esmeralda struggled to say, "You… son of a…"

BZZZT! GAH! Kamikage gave her another, longer shock right into her kidneys. Intense cramping gripped her as the electricity seize and rack her entire body, her body seizing as her every nerve screamed. Fortunately, her cavalry arrived before further damage could be done. Just as Kamikage recoiled, Ryunosuke entered and sprinted over to them, stepping between them and placing his body between his brother and Esmeralda.

Kamikage said flatly despite his actual words, "Ryunosuke? How did you get… No matter. Just stop aside; I'm not done talking to her yet."

Ryunosuke entreated even as he contested his conflict, "No, I … I can't do that. I think that's enough."

Kamikage insisted, his words dissonance withholding, "Aw, and we were having fun."

Ryunosuke continued trying to appeal to his brother, "Nii-san, please… Just let her go … for me at least."

His words and mood continuing to be disconnected, Kamikage responded, "Mmm… No can do. Now, I'm not gonna say it again; step aside."

Ryunosuke wearily but steadfastly stated, "I'm sorry… but you'll have to go through me to get to her."

Now, that was the first thing in a long time to genuinely throw Kamikage for a loop. His hysteria sort of grinded to a halt at the confrontation, and he slightly tilted his head to the side as if the whole situation was completely alien to him. Kamikage remained completely silent and still for sever beats…

"Don't be ridiculous, Ryunosuke…" Kamikage soon resumed, "You win. Take her, and get out of her before my guests arrive."

Doing as asked, Ryunosuke put Esmeralda's arm over his shoulder to support her, lifted her to her feet, and led her out of the room and down the hall. Once Esmeralda came to and realized where she was, she angrily pushed Ryunosuke back…

Ryunosuke said out of concern, "Esmeralda, you really should rest a little."

Livid, Esmeralda exclaimed, "Get away from me! To Hell with you and your hermano loco!"

Unable to say or do anything to settle her, Ryunosuke could only watch as Esmeralda stumbled off into the building…

To Be Continued

_**A/N: **_**That's part one; part two will be up soon. Please R&R, and as always, Rant, Rave, and Review.**


	5. PaybackFire pt2

_Disclaimer: I don't own Tekken…_

_**A/N: **_**Hello there, and thank you for reading. This is part 2 of the chapter, and here … we … go:**

The King of Iron Fist Tournament 9: Break the Cycle

White Rage into a Shadow's Trap

Finally, he had arrived. Haku pulled up to the address, a half-finished apartment with little more than the actual façade done. This was one of KGI's prototype ventures, and an old asset of Kamikage Nodachi's that he cancelled years ago. Obviously, he hadn't demolished it like many people at the company thought he did. Undeterred by the details, Haku stepped out, locked the car, and stashed the keys under the bumper. The Kazama son quickly burst into the building, already breathing heavily, and barreled through the halls like a mad bull. Fortunately, he didn't have to look for long. Haku made it to the third floor, and found Kamikage waiting in the large empty space.

Kamikage turned and broke into a mad Cheshire grin as he said, "So, you did make it… Now what? Are you just going to kill me in cold-blooded revenge?"

…

"Damn right!"

Within a second, Haku descended upon Kamikage, and proceeded to maul the older Nodachi. The Kazama son punched, kicked, kneed, stomped, beat, battered, and pummeled the object of his rage, tossing and thrashing him around. Kamikage couldn't fight back; he couldn't even get set to defend himself, and any attempt to get space was thwarted by Haku's now-blistering speed. Eventually, Haku threw Kamikage down a flight of stairs to the second level.

All the while he was laying into his mad enemy, Haku, unbeknownst to himself, was changing. His canine teeth had enlarged and sharpened to fangs. His red right eye throbbed and burned as it practically glowed in the dark. His muscles pulsed as they brimmed with power. Haku's vision soon tunneled, and he could clearly hear his heartbeat loudly like a battle drum. His thoughts raced and collided until they just seemed like voices in his mind…

Haku's thoughts echoed loudly in his head, "Can't let him get away! He hurt her! He will pay! Punish him! Make him … suffer!"

Slowly, Kamikage staggered to his feet and drew the next phase of his torture. Haku let out a primal roar and in a single impressive leap, lunged down and pounced on Kamikage, driving him into the ground. Mindlessly, Haku sunk his now dagger-like teeth into Kamikage's shoulder, which drew an innate scream. The older Nodachi soon wrested himself away and crawled backward as Haku, Kamikage's blood in his mouth, slowly stalked after him like a wild animal after wounded prey.

Kamikage, half-crazed, commented with a sick smile, "So savage… I was right all along; you can't even deny it now. You're nothing but an abomination, a complete monster…"

Haku sprinted forward in a blink of an eye, grasped Kamikage's neck tightly in both hands, and growled through clenched teeth, "If I'm just a monster, then that makes you an idiot … for pissing me off!"

The enraged Kazama son spotted a nearby glass partition, and CRAAASH! Kamikage hit the ground with a sick bounce as shards of glass stuck out of his body or fell close to him. BOOM! A moment later, Haku burst through the wall, and went right back to his attempted destruction of the older Nodachi…

Not far away, Jun was just arriving; leaving as soon as she found out about Haku, she flew ahead of everyone else. She finally landed in front of the building and headed right in, without a second thought or even retracting her wings. The Kazama heir got a ways in without a single sign of trouble, but it didn't last very long. Jun soon sensed something coming at her from above, caught her assailant in mid-air without any loss of motion, and slammed them to the ground. Mitsuko unfortunately hadn't waited to see who it was before she attacked, and was now left in amazement and shock at the Kazama heir in her winged state. Jun took Mitsuko by the throat, and lifted her off the ground slightly, Jun's wings stretching out behind her unconsciously…

"Where is … my brother?" Jun asked with threatening seriousness.

Deeper into the building, Haku's attack had gone from crazed to sinister. He would pound his enemy hard and then allow him to get a few feet away, only to smash him once more. Now, before dealing out damage, he would often drag Kamikage along the floor to add further insult and pain. After such a beating, the older Nodachi was a visible wreck. His face was painted crimson from the multiple cuts to his face. His body was bruised and covered in welts, and bloodied from the scratches and damage to his torso, his clothes completely tattered. Unable to even stand anymore, Kamikage slowly began crawling toward … something. Haku raced up and again took Kamikage by the throat, pulling him close.

Kamikage let out a weak gurgling cackle and said, "You've made me so happy… You want to know why I'm laughing?"

Haku responded with a vicious headbutt to his enemy, and scowled, "Your laughter won't matter when you're dead."

As the now-terrifying Kazama son stared at the barely conscious and bludgeoned Kamikage Nodachi, the 'voices' in his mind became distorted yet even more clear, ranging from creepily high-pitched to bellowing, all of them sinister…

"He will pay! I'll make him pay! He needs … more pain! More blood! More! He … needs death! Kill… Kill… Kill him!"

Suddenly, a single voice rang through the darkness clear as a bell, "Haku-kun! Haku-kun! Haku!"

Haku immediately dropped Kamikage and looked toward the voice, but quickly had to turn away; the light shining from her was blinding and thoroughly painful to look at. Recognizing her brother to be in advanced devil state, Jun raced to his side, took hold of him, and tried to force his devil gene to recede. However, the power was so completely ingrained, allowed to rise up for too long now, the influence of their Kazama power cause Haku pain as well.

Jun desperately commanded as Haku growled in pain, "Haku-kun, let go! You have to let it go!"

His voice distorted to a low echo, Haku struggled to say even as he continued to look at Kamikage, "C-Can't… Must… Make him … pay!"

Jun, feeling little progress, pleaded with her brother, "No, you … you can't, not like this. Look at what it's doing to you!"

Struggling less as Jun was beginning to break through, Haku desperately persisted, "Must … punish! For … Akane…"

Jun pushed forward, feeling the breaks in the devil gene's hold, "That's right; think about Akane-chan. What would she say about this? Is this what she would want? What would she say if she saw you now?"

While the twins struggled, Kamikage came to, gaining his bearings somewhat, saw the twins were occupied at the time, and slowly continued crawling toward his target: the concrete support beam, an electrical device affixed to it… The thoughts of Akane reaching Haku at the deepest level, he joined Jun in forcing his devil gene under control, and soon the effects began to recede. However... like a cornered beast sensing danger, Haku's devil gene grasped him even more firmly, seemingly refusing to let him go.

As red bolts of electricity shot off of him in rejection of his bid for control, Haku said with great difficulty, "Jun-chan… I … I … I can't…."

Jun persisted even as she continued to force the devil gene back, "Yes, you can! This power… It's in you too. Just find it and take it! Dig deep; it's there. You can do it!"

Struggling against the evil influence, Haku reached down deep, and tried to grasp something else. Looking into what was really important to him, into what made him who he was, the things that came out the clearest were his family, his friends, Akane… Right then, right into his hands landed his Kazama source. Simultaneously, Jun felt Haku's discovery, and pushed harder, trying to connect to him. The twins began to force Haku's devil gene from both inside and out, and they soon broke through. The effects quickly receding, Haku collapsed to his knees in exhaustion, and Jun embraced him.

"I'm sorry." Haku said with fatigue, "I'm so sorry."

Jun comforted her brother, "It's alright. It's alright. Everything's fine. But right now, we need to get out of here."

"No!" Kamikage shouted suddenly, "You're not going anywhere!"

The twins looked back to the sight of Kamikage barely standing and now clutching a remote. He was looking even more disturbing with blood covering his face and chest and his body trembling…

Kamikage, downright elated despite his grisly appearance, "It's perfect. Both of you are finally here, and none of us is leaving. I can't seem to defeat you … then I can definitely take you down with me."

Confused, Haku said, "What is he talking about?"

Jun saw the rigged column, and expressed, "Oh, man; he's lost it…"

"To Hell with both of you! To Hell where you belong!"

Kamikage finally pressed the button. The device on the support beam instantly spewed a shower of sparks, and as if it were coated in gasoline, the place erupted into flames, the entire floor quickly becoming an inferno. Another reason for the device's placement, the fire climbed along the support beam to the other floor, which just like the first were quickly engulfed. The device had done its job, but it couldn't withstand the intense heat and promptly exploded, even knocking all three occupants to the ground.

Meanwhile, everyone else, Xiaoyu, Lee, Leo, Lili, Hwoarang, Lars, all the scions, and Sven, arrived to the disturbing sight of the building completely in flames. Lilith immediately got on the phone, while Lee and Vincent held back Lars and Sven respectively…

Sven eagerly protested, "What are you doing? We have to go in there and find them."

Though conflicted himself, Lee explained, "We can't do that… There's a reason this building is condemned. Many of the materials act as natural accelerant under high temperature. Once it starts burning, it burns out of control."

Incredulous, Hwoarang asked, "So, what? We have just to stay out here and wait?"

Lilith hurriedly expressed, "The fire department is on their way, Daddy. They said they're coming as fast as they can."

Lee worriedly said, "Let's pray they don't arrive too late."

Deeper inside, Ryunosuke was crawling along the floor with his head down, avoiding the heat and smoke as he searched for someone he'd left behind… Eventually, he came upon who was looking for: Esmeralda, collapsed to the floor and coughing furiously; she completely caught by surprise in the fire and couldn't get out in time. Acting quickly, he lifted her onto his back and headed for the exit… Jun and Haku eventually came to, and saw the flames' quick progress…

Haku exclaimed as they got to their feet, "This place went up fast! Let's jet!"

Seeing Kamikage still out, Jun expressed, "No, you go on. I'll catch up!"

Haku protested, grabbing his sister by the arm, "Are you kidding? Let's go!"

Jun insisted, "It's alright. I'm right behind you."

Haku tried to pull her away, saying in disbelief, "You're crazy! I can't believe I … We're going now!"

Jun pulled free, even giving her brother a shove, and insisted further, "Just go! I have to do something first. Haku-kun, trust me; go on!"

Confused nonetheless, Haku relented to his sister's wishes and went on. As he ran through the area looking for an exit, the combination of heat, fatigue, smoke, and lack of oxygen started to get to him, and quickly became dizzy and weak. Eventually, he came to a large window. Desperate and in danger of succumbing, Haku summoned the last of his strength to propel himself forward. Unbeknownst to him, he hadn't noticed the danger had caused him to instinctively tap into his powers again, and they began to fill him up as he set himself. Haku burst forward, and crashed through the glass… Immediately, a pair of large angelic wings with grey feathers erupted from his back like a parachute as soon as he hit fresh air. Going on intuition alone, he caught the wind and flew off. Meanwhile…

"Who is it?" Kamikage asked internally.

"**It's true. You are strong … but not strong enough."**

"I said who are you? What do you want?"

"**I want what you want. I want you to succeed."**

"What the..? What are you saying?"

"**I'm saying I can help you, that I want to help you. You want revenge on those who hurt you?"**

"Y-Yes…"

"**You want retribution for everything you lost, everything you suffer through?"**

"Yes…"

"**You want to destroy them before they do more damage?"**

"Yes… Yes!"

"**Then, I am your answer. I can help you break through and become stronger. All you need is me."**

"H-How… How do I get this power?"

"**Simply take hold of it. Accept me and let me in. The power is here; just reach out and take it."**

In that instance, Kamikage didn't feel the surrounding flames or even any kind of danger. He felt a definite anxiety and a natural aversion toward this new, oddly sinister presence … but he didn't care. He reached out… Suddenly, he felt something rush over him, something that caused the presence to make a hasty retreat. The next moment, he felt someone grab him and carry him away…

Free and clear, Ryunosuke had driven himself and Esmeralda a good distance away on his motorcycle. The Spanish lady all the while was still mostly unconscious but she was making a recovery as her air returned to her. Ryunosuke, feeling they were now safe, stopped and got off his bike to observe that the building was now completely enflamed. The sudden stop along with her regained oxygen finally brought Esmeralda back around, and a quick look around revealed Ryunosuke standing behind her and the burning building in the distance behind them…

Ryunosuke commented somewhat distractedly, "Hey, you're back around. You feeling okay?"

Looking back at the inferno then to Ryunosuke, Esmeralda said with surprise, "You… You came back for me?"

Ryunosuke automatically and simply replied, "Of course."

Esmeralda got off the bike and approached him as she asked, "You really braved the fire to save my life?"

Still mostly distracted, Ryunosuke automatically replied, "Yeah, I did. That's how we got here."

Esmeralda looked close by and stepped closer to him, saying, "Listen, don't tell anyone about this, comprende?"

Finally looking at her, Ryunosuke asked out of surprised, "I'm sorry? I don't…"

Esmeralda interrupted him with a specific thank you: she pulled her head close and planted her lips on his! They finally separated after a few moments with an audible smack. Both froze immediately as if they came to the same realization. Esmeralda soon snapped back to their present situation, but Ryunosuke remained frozen…

Esmeralda offered, trying to sound nonchalant but obviously flustered, "Thanks again…"

Ryunosuke replied, still in post-kiss catatonia, "No, thank you…"

Suddenly, they got a surprise when they were startled by a loud siren and flashing lights. They quickly moved out of the way as a troop of fire trucks sped past…

Lost in the middle of his situation, Kamikage was lifted effortlessly off the ground, moved quickly through the inferno, and suddenly flew through a window where fresh air rushed into him. He was then carried to the ground and unceremoniously dropped, all while having the vague sense that someone was holding on to him the entire time. Finally stable, he looked up to see his rescuer and couldn't believe his eyes: in front of him was a bona fide angel! Her features were partially obscured by the fire's light behind her, but she was still obviously beautiful. Her long hair flowed behind her, and she had a pair of large spectacular wings with unblemished white feathers. Beyond all of that were her pair of piercing, hypnotizing blue eyes. A faint aura surrounded her, but it made an impression; the power coming from her was both comforting and empowering.

Kamikage was frozen in awe, his eyes growing wide. The angel stared deeply into his eyes, seemingly into and through his soul for a few moments until her attention was grasped by nearby sirens and blaring lights. She took one last look at Kamikage and flew off. Kamikage wanted to call out for her to wait but was still in too much shock, awe, and disbelief to move. Eventually, he smiled with elation and joy.

The scions and parents looked on nervously as firefighters shot water into the blaze from all angles, all waiting and hoping for good news but silently bracing for bad news. Suddenly, they received a reprieve: Jun walked up to them from the near side of the building, noticeably fatigued and dazed but still mostly fine and unsigned. Xiaoyu automatically ran up to and hugged her daughter…

Xiaoyu ecstatically expressed, "Oh, Jun-chan! I'm so glad you're alive! Are you alright? Are you hurt? You had us all so worried."

Usually uncomfortable with such affection, Jun embraced her mother in return, saying reassuringly, "No, Mom, I'm fine. Really; everything is alright."

Xiaoyu let go as she realized, saying, "Now, where's your brother? Is Haku-kun safe?"

Jun paused and offered, "I think so. He's already gone; he's not in there."

Back to worrying, Xiaoyu asked, "Okay, but where is he now…?"

Back at the hospital, Miharu and Hayashi sat by their sleeping daughter's side, their backs to the door as they held an unbroken vigil with Akane. Soon, they heard someone approach and enter the room, and turned to see Haku, the Kazama son a noticeable mess. His hands, sleeves, and shirt were splattered with blood, and blood was on his lips despite Haku himself having no physical wounds to speak. He also smelled heavily of smoke. He simply nodded to the slack-jawed and dreading parents, tiredly walked around, and slumped in the chair on the other side of Akane…

Miharu cautiously asked, "Haku-kun, are you ... alright? Your mother was really worried."

A far-off look in his eye, Haku expressed, "I'm sorry; I didn't mean to worry anyone. But, yes, I'm alright."

"Are you sure?" Hayashi asked with worry and concern, "Why are you … like that?"

Haku plainly answered, "I found the guy who did this to Akane-chan. I made sure he was sorry for what he put her through."

Miharu fearfully reacted, "Oh my god. Haku-kun… You didn't…?"

Haku slightly reassured her, "Don't worry, Miharu-sama… He'll live … unfortunately."

Getting a call, Akane answered it right away when she say who it was, "Hello, Xiao-chan… Yes, I know … because he's here. Yes, Haku-kun is back here at the hospital…"

Miharu rose to her feet and exited so as to not disturb Akane, and Hayashi went after her. Still mostly asleep, Akane, even with her eyes closed, recognized Haku's company, and slowly and uncomfortably rolled on her side toward. Her moans of discomfort grasped Haku's attention, and he slid his chair close to her…

"Ha-kun…" Akane called out in her slumber.

Haku tenderly responded with concern, "Yes, sweetheart, it's me."

Akane softly said, "I'm glad you're back."

Haku tenderly replied, "I know, and I'm not going anywhere anytime soon. I'm sorry for leaving like that."

Akane yawned and said, "It's alright. Everyone was worried about you, me too."

Haku warmly responded, "I was worried about you too. How are you feeling?"

Akane softly answered, "A little better now that you're here. You're going to take care of me, Ha-kun?"

Haku affectionately promised, "Of course, baby… And I promise I'll protect you; I'll make sure no one hurts you again … ever."

Akane yawned once more and said adoringly as she drifted further into sleep, I know… I love you, Ha-kun."

"I love you too, Akane-chan."

Haku lovingly brushed her hair from her face where his eyes centered on his blood-stained hands. He slumped back into his chair as he surveyed the aftermath of his most recent battle. From there, he reflected on the entire night: his loss of control, the other side, the power and horror of his alternate state of mind, what Jun said about Akane… That's when the questions started: What his sinister power necessary? Could he fall back into it again? What would happen if he ever lost full control? Finally, his mind fell to Akane, and what she would think of all this? Not wanting the morbid appearance he had to be the first thing she saw, Haku went into the room's bathroom and began washing himself off…

End Chapter

_**A/N: **_**There you have it. Thank you for reading, and I hope you enjoyed it. In the next chapter, we're going to be taking a detour as we revisit the side-story for this entry. Again, thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed it, and I hope you come back to read more. Please R&R, and as always, Rant, Rave, and Review.**


	6. Damage Repair

_Disclaimer: I don't own Tekken…_

_**A/N: **_**Hello, welcome to the story and thank you for stopping by. Now, we're taking a detour to the story's sub-plot; I'll try to keep you up to speed and fill in any holes you may have. In any case, I hope you like this diversion. And here … we … go:**

The King of Iron Fist Tournament 9: Break the Cycle

Damage Repair

On and on, she ran. Her arms pumped furiously. Her legs churned relentlessly, crushing the jungle's dense vegetation underfoot. On her hip swayed a bowling ball-sized bag, and an index card-sized computer chip was fastened to her shirt like a badge. Not far behind, two other women sped after her on an ATV; the blond-haired woman drove while the brunette stood on the back aiming and shooting various artillery at their target. Noticeably, a large case was fastened to the back of the ATV. Thinking quickly, the running young woman dove into some brush and took refuge behind an out-of-the-way tree, forcing the two pursuers to stop. The ATV rumbled on idle while both women looked for their prey, the brown-haired women looking through her gun's scope…

"Da-!" Anna B. exclaimed as she looked up from her gun, "We lost her."

Nina intensely replied, "Don't worry. She couldn't have gone far."

Perfect clones of the originals, Nina B. and Anna B. had chased this particular young woman for some time for the murder of the man who brought them into life, the man who they considered their father and who raised them as his own, Doctor Bosconovitch. Dubbed 'Madness' Marionette', Rebekah Wrath, the woman on the run, was the last remaining work of Doctor Abel, a cyborg originally meant to be Bryan Fury's second body but retained individuality. While revenge for their father was a life-long goal for them, Anna and Nina were extremely motivated on this chase to regain someone else precious to them that Rebekah had stolen away…

Seeing no chance of them leaving, Rebekah abandoned her hiding place, darting off, and Nina and Anna sped after her, Rebekah's enhanced speed barely keeping her ahead of them on foot. Anna, preparing a potential final shot, put away her shotgun, took out a shoulder-mounted rocket launcher, and loaded a rocket into it. Rebekah noticed a stone formation ahead of her, a certain dead end, and a large tree in front of it, and found a way to buy herself some time. Madness' Marionette sped up, reared back mid-stride, and with a single well-placed and incredibly-powerful strike, destroyed the tree trunk.

KR-KR-KR-AAASH! The titanic collapsed tree went tumbling toward Nina and Anna! Nina swerved the ATV left and Anna dove right to avoid the tree, Anna rolling through into position on one knee. With barely a second of hesitation, she aimed and blasted the rocket at Rebekah. Frozen in dread for a moment, the cyborg barely dove out of the way in time… BOOM! The rocket obliterated the rock formation, and revealed behind it a wide but shallow calf-deep stream. Rebekah, still trying to getting away, jumped through the new opening while Anna hopped over the fallen tree back onto the ATV, and the sisters picked up the chase again.

Rebekah continued to run and treaded through stream all the way to its end … a huge waterfall! All she could do was stop and stare over the edge. Close behind, Anna and Nina eventually came to see the cyborg trapped, and prepared for a fight. Nina gave the simple gesture of opening her hand, and Anna immediately filled with a shotgun. Anna prepared as well by loading another rocket into the launcher, and both approached their target, getting off the ATV and taking aim as they walked forward…

Bryan Fury, only a remnant in Rebekah's mind now, raged through her thoughts, "Da-! Not them again! You should have listened to me and killed them before! How could you be so stupid! Now, we're in this mess, and there's no way out! Why are you such a waste?"

Rebekah furiously pounded the sides of her head as she said, "Annoying, annoying, annoying, annoying, annoying! You're all so annoying!" The unstable cyborg spun toward Anna and Nina and said, "What's with you two? I could shake you just fine before, and now every time I turn around, you're right there. How are you following me?"

"Wouldn't you like to know, bi-!" Anna exclaimed crossly, "You know what we want; give us our sister back!"

"I can't." Rebekah replied as she tapped the bag on her hip, "I'm not finished with her yet."

"Have it your way." Nina said before chambering two bullets with a loud CHI-CHIK! "If you don't hand her over, we'll take her back once you're in pieces."

Rebekah snickered gleefully as she said, "And what's that pellet gun going to do to me? Haven't we been through that already?"

Anna tapped her rocket launcher and replied, "That's why I brought this … and trust me; you won't shrug one of these off."

Her giggling persisting, Rebekah expressed, "See, that's a bad idea too. If you blow me up, won't you blow up your sister's 'heart' too? Are two sure you're more sane than me?"

Nina lowered her shotgun slightly and said, "That's scary; the psycho actually has a point."

The sisters however would not be denied; Nina and Anna dropped their guns and drew the combat knives fastened to their legs…

Rebekah expressed with maudlin sadness, "You don't understand. Because of you, I haven't had any alone time. I haven't found a new person at all. I've seen so many good opportunities and had to let them all go… I haven't a taste in weeks; it's killing me. I'm so thirsty."

"We'll be sure to shed a few tears for you." Anna coldly responded.

"Really; our hearts bleed." Nina added, cringing right after she said it.

Rebekah broke into a creepy Cheshire grin as she said, "I know… You're both so healthy and fit; you take good care of yourselves. You know, maybe it's a good thing you came all the way out here after me… I need a drink."

With that sentiment, the talking was over, and the fight had begun. Anna and Nina charge and attacked with ruthless abandon and malice. They used every technique they every learned, targeted every weak point on a person's body, and fought with every ounce of strength, anger, hatred, and pain they could dredge up. All of their offense in tandem worked … for a while. All their blows seemed to glance off of Rebekah and not faze her; she even laughed after some of their attacks. No matter what, Madness' Marionette would keep getting up even after the most vicious and punishing combinations, sustained very little physical injury with slashes barely bleeding, and her physical speed never changed. Simply, Nina and Anna had no idea of if they were effective or not.

Both eventually plunged their knives into Rebekah's midsection, and after she slumped forward, tried to pull back … but they couldn't. Closer inspection revealed that Rebekah had hold of them, and the next moment was blur; Madness' Marionette, in a feat of understandably incredible strength, fell backward and tossed them both over her head. Shaking off the suplex, Anna and Nina sat up, but cold only look on in disbelief and exasperation as Rebekah stood up undeterred by the large blades stuck in her abdomen…

"You two are something else." Rebekah said, seeming to not even register her injury, "Your sister would be proud… Oh, you're breathing heavy. That's good; it keeps the blood nice and warm."

As she and her sister rose, Anna exclaimed angrily, "You are going down, you crazy bi-! Even if it's the last thing we do…"

Rebekah gleefully replied, "You're going to take me down? Sounds fun … but I can't play well on an empty stomach. Maybe after I've had my fill, okay…"

Quickly getting a second wind, Anna and Nina charged again, but this time Rebekah was waiting for them. Madness' Marionette finally started reacting. While her state of mind was in question, her Krav Maga skills still made it a bad idea to get near her; she easily redirected their attacks and used their momentum and force to keep them off-balance. Then, her kickboxing and cyborg strength kicked in; she began punishing her attackers through the openings that she'd made for herself, and her power allowed her to liberally toss them around. Meanwhile, Anna and Nina grew more desperate and endangered by the minute. The fight for their sister was now a fight for their own lives as well. Even worse was that they could tell Rebekah was holding back and could simply snap them in half at any point but simply chose not to. The harder they fought was the more they get hurt … and the closer to defeat they were pushed.

Eventually, Nina managed to get one knife out of Rebekah's gut but was simply tossed away for her trouble. Rebekah then roughly slammed Anna to the ground, the stream washing over Anna's body as she writhed in pain…

"Now, which of you drinks red wine again?" Rebekah said as she ominously pulled out the other knife, her voice simple despite her morbid intentions. She eyed the sisters momentarily before stopping and leering at Anna … lustfully, saying with a much changed tone, "Oh, that's right."

Anna immediately tried retreating, splashing through the water as she crawled backward, and never took her eyes off of Rebekah, eventually throwing stones from the under the water in a desperate attempt to slow her stalker down. Madness' Marionette nonchalantly knocked the rocks aside and simply continued to stalk the increasingly-unnerved Anna, Rebekah's eyes not longer crazed but filled with perverse desire. Finally, Rebekah rushed forward and grabbed Anna's ankle, parrying Anna's kick with her opposite leg and pulling her back. Nina regained herself in time to see Anna in deep trouble, and racked her brain furiously to come up with something. Her eyes fell to the knife in her hand … and she instantly thought of the only way to distract the crazed cyborg… Rebekah sat on Anna's waist and held her arms down with only one hand, the two now face-to-face…

Rebekah said with disturbing tenderness, "Now, now, just calm down. This won't hurt at all if you hold still. In fact, you might even enjoy it too. Now, just relax and…"

THUMP! Rebekah briefly stopped by a rock through right into her temple. A second one drew her attention away from her prey and to the thrower: Nina…

Rebekah sighed, "Could you hold that thought for just a moment?"

"Sorry, I can't do that." Nina replied as she rinsed off the knife in the stream, "I never could wait my turn."

Rebekah watched with intrigue, and Anna could only look on in horror as Nina went through with her desperate plan … tracing the edge of the knife down the length on her tongue!

Her mouth quickly turning red, Nina said as she held up the stained blade, "Is this it? Is this what you want?"

"I might be crazy, but I'm not stupid," Rebekah said with prominent conflict in her voice, "What are you planning?"

"Come on; what can we do to you now?" Nina said as she let blood escape the corner of her mouth, "We know you want this."

Her hemophilia running wild and raging out of control inside her, Rebekah relented; she tossed the knife aside, dashed right at Nina, and hit her with a running tackle and embrace combination, taking her to the ground with a huge splash. Madness' Marionette, without fail, pressed her lips against Nina's, and began drinking the blood right out of Nina's mouth, even slipping in her tongue to get it all and actively squeezing Nina's face to get more! Nina pushed against Rebekah's chest after the sudden beginning of the assault, but the cyborg didn't budge. Fortunately, that wasn't Nina's aim…

Using the position and Rebekah's engrossment to her advantage, Nina grabbed the computer chip, her sister's 'heart', from the cyborg's jacket and stealthily pass it to Anna. The whole time, Anna could watch on in horror and disgust, but was shaken out of her daze by the Nina's pass. Quickly, Anna caught the chip and raced back to the ATV. Meanwhile, Nina began to feel light-headed from Rebekah's ravenous consumption, but again Madness' Marionette was suddenly interrupted, this time by a furious tapping on her hip. Rebekah finally pulled back, a single line of blood still unbroken between her and Nina…

"Again with the interruptions?" Rebekah said, fairly annoyed, "What is it … now?"

The cyborg noticed the area the tapping was coming from and looked to see the rumbling was coming from … inside the bag. Wiping her mouth, Rebekah slowly rose as she took the bag in her hands in puzzlement, slowly unzipped it; inside was the pink-haired head of a girl, Nina and Anna's older 'sister', unresponsive as it had been … until now. The girl's green eyes suddenly shot open, blinked rapidly several times, and soon focused on Rebekah…"

"Please surrender now…" Alisa cordially offered, "… or be destroyed."

BOOM! Alisa's head exploded right Rebekah's face, massively interfering with cybernetic system. Finally back on line, Alisa rematerialized a head as she climbed out of the case and jetted forward, Rebekah staggering to her feet. On the attack, Alisa laid into her with punches, gliding the whole way, and ended with a flipping kick, knocking Rebekah end over end. The cyborg slowly rose to her feet with her senses still a jumbled mess, and Alisa was still attacking; Alisa sped forward, drove a chainsaw into Rebekah's already-compromised abdomen, and let it tear away before ripping it back out. Madness' Marionette stumbled backward from the massive damage with all her systems beginning to fail, but Alisa was already going for the coup-de-grace; she took Rebekah by the head, tossed her high into the air, and rocketed both fists into her, blasting her as soared upward. Finally, she hit the ground with a loud splash.

Rebekah slowly clamored to her feet, all of Alisa's attacks having carried her near the summit. She could barely see at all now, and couldn't even hold herself together after the assault, not strong enough to even resist the increasing current. Alisa flew forward toward the cyborg, but it was too late … and Rebekah plunged. The defeated cyborg fell lifelessly over the edge, slammed into 2 protruding rock formations on the way down, and hit rock bottom with a large splash.

Hovering just over the precipice, Alisa calmly observed, "Threat: neutralized… Danger … Averted."

With that confirmation, Alisa flew back to Anna and Nina, who both were recovering from their ordeal. The sisters immediately stood, Nina actively washing her mouth out…

Alisa gave a short bow, and cordially offered, "Anna-chan, Nina-chan, thank you for saving me."

Anna plainly replied, "Of course, we came after you. We already lost Dad; we weren't about to lose you too."

"What she said…" Nina added, her voice muffled by the wet towel she was holding to her still bleeding tongue, "But why are you so formal all of a sudden?"

"I … apologize." Alisa stiffly replied.

Giving a painful yet kindhearted gesture, Alisa embraced her sisters, but didn't alter her strength, audible pops in their bodies as she squeezed them. Both of them groaned from pain she was unwittingly inflicting on them.

Nina said, her voice stifled as she struggled to breathe, "We love you too. Now please… let go. We can't … breathe."

Alisa released them, and offered stiffly, "I'm sorry. I did not mean to hurt you."

Anna vocally surmised, as she tried to stretch herself back out, "Alisa, I think you need a minute before you're back to normal."

Fortunately, Anna's deduction was right, and Alisa soon regained herself. Her movements went from mechanical to organic, going from robotic and stiff to smooth and dynamic. Also as an indicator, the look in her eyes softened considerably…

Seeing her sister's condition, Alisa said out of concern, "Oh, you both are injured. We need to get you first aid right away."

"And she's back…" Nina said, "So, let's take her advice and get out of here."

Reunited, the three sisters took off, Anna and Nina slowly driving off and Alisa flying over head…

Much later, the three were on a plane back home, with Alisa again watching over her younger siblings. Even in their sleep, the injuries they sustained were evident. Bandages were all over the place. Anna now wore cloth cases on her sprained wrists. Nina had fallen asleep even with a special ice pack in her mouth to soothe the seven stitches in her tongue. Alisa felt a reaction as she watched her younger siblings rest, and eventually recognized it as 'adoration' and 'peace', a smile emerging on her face. Eventually, though it only felt like moments to her, she surmised she'd been away for some time, so she decided to look through her memory banks to see just how long.

To her surprise, she found a series of new entries, and curious to what they possibly could be, edited them together and played them. Incredibly, they were recordings … of Rebekah! She was speaking to Alisa's head as if she were conscious. Seemingly, they seemed like simply mad ramblings often intercut with her speaking in a completely different voice identified as belonging to Bryan Fury. Closer inspection however revealed a much more concise picture…

"I wish I was 'pretty' like you and your sisters. But your Dad loved you, of course; Dr. A made me like this. 'Hey, you forgetting someone, kid?' That's Bryan; he's the one that who killed me. See." She lowers her shirt to show the bullet hole in her chest, and continues, "He thought I was going to be his new bodysuit, but you see how that worked. Yeah, that's me: messy bag of bolts with a crazy guy's voice in my head… Well, every pretty picture needs a negative, right? Right?" She giggled even as a single tear rolled down her cheek…

"Thirsty… I'm so thirsty. You know, I've always liked blood, even when I was alive, not as much as now but still… Hematology, I think it was called. Now, it's really strong; I just need it. It makes me feel … alive, you know? It makes me feel … like me again, like I did before all this happened. You can understand that, right? Right…?" She broke into a fit of simultaneous laughter and weeping, landing somewhere in the middle…

"They almost got me again. 'You useless bi-! Why won't you just kill him?' I-I can't. Just shut up and leave me alone! What? Oh, no; not you. They just want to take you back, away from me. But, I don't want to let you go yet. You don't want to leave me all alone yet, right? Right…?" Rebekah's fit took on an anxious and desperate tone as her concurrent giggling and sobbing while clutching Alisa's head felt almost like she was pleading…

Many of the other entries shared similar feelings of lament, desperation, frantic glee, and sadness. She spoke once every night, each ending with a troubling yet gut-wrenching mixture of hysterical laughter and distraught weeping. Alisa searched for a possible explanation and came to the conclusion of 'depressive mania' and 'shell shock' because of her 'inability to sleep, racing thoughts and speech, constant re-experience, and emotional incontinence'. On a personal level, Alisa could see a sense of depression in Rebekah over her situation and physical state, There was … desperation in the way she spoke to Alisa's head, as if she were searching for a response. Incredibly, there was even a present fear of staying a cyborg and of dying 'again'.

As she put together her analysis, Alisa came across a saying her father read to her, 'remembering' it, "_But, who prays for a devil? Who, in eighteen centuries, has had the common humanity to pray for the one sinner who needed it the most?_"

After being thrown about and carried by the current for hours on end, Rebekah's lifeless body finally washed up on the cool ground of the river bank. Incredibly, her eyes suddenly flickered, and slowly eased open. She was entirely in intense pain and a mental haze so thick that she could barely make out the full moon looming overhead. Her head throbbed agonizingly, and her body felt like it weighed a metric ton. It became really clear to her that she was serious trouble. Very slowly, she lifted herself up and staggered off.

Rebekah was a mess. The large gaping tear wound in her abdomen seemed incapable of healing completely yet proved nowhere near fatal, a constant source of agony. Fatigue and pain would cause her to pass out at times. In spite of all this, she forged on with one name in mind, the name of the only person who could help her. Finally, after days of fighting and traveling, she came to a large home in Japan. Rebekah managed to knock on the door but had to lean on the door frame to keep from falling out…

"Hello?" Alisa offered cordially as she answered the phone, "Who is it?"

Rebekah labouredly asked, "Is this … the home of … Doctor Bosconovitch?"

Recognizing the voice as a cause for alarm, Alisa replied, "That is correct. What … can I do for you?"

Finally, Rebekah couldn't hold herself up any longer, and fell to her knees into the light, her body trembling as she held the slit in her gut. Alisa was easily shocked at seeing Rebekah again so soon … at first. Then, she noticed differences: Rebekah's eyes were stable not crazed. Her body language was settled not frantic. She certainly looked distressed … but noticeably not demented! This suggested to Alisa that Rebekah … was not insane at that moment, though in dire straits…

Rebekah forced out in a pained tone, "I… I need … help."

**End Chapter**

_**A/N**_**: Here you have it. We're going back to main story next time, and then the actual fighting will begin. Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed it, and I hope you come back to read more. **


	7. Drawback

_Disclaimer: I don't own Tekken…_

_**A/N: **_**Hello, fellow readers and writers. Well, we're back to the main story, the chapter before the actual fighting begins. This is also a rather short chapter, so you won't have to read very long. So, let's get to it. And here … we … go:**

The King of Iron Fist Tournament 9: Break the Cycle

Drawback

One day, a very familiar letter was sent out around the word…

"_Dear treasured combatant, Kazama G Incorporated is proud to inform you that you have been personally invited to compete in the King of Iron Fist tournament 9. The premiere fighting competition in the world is coming off its record-setting eighth tournament, and we wish to make it even better this year. However, we would gratefully appreciate your involvement, as you are the most important part in making this competition a success. We eagerly anticipate your reply. Thank you and good luck!"_

It had been a long day at Tekken Force Headquarters. Sven Alexandersson and Agent Tealfire were finally leaving after preparing security detail for the upcoming tournament, handing out individual assignments, and many other aspects of their Tekken Tournament-increased workload…

Agent Tealfire asked out of concern, "Sir, are you sure this plan of action will work?"

Sven took a long sigh and replied, "I hope so; it's our _only_ real opportunity for attack."

His concern not waning, agent Tealfire persisted, "But, sir; for Jun-sama and Haku-sama to use themselves as bait, even after everything this madman has done? It just feels too dangerous."

Sven said in a contemplative tone, "I'm afraid it'd be more dangerous to let him go. This guy… He assaulted our friend, drew both twins to him, almost a building to the ground, and we still have no trace of him or idea of where he is now. This needs to end now."

"And…" Tealfire asked anxiously, "If he doesn't come?"

Sven answered as he wondered, "Then, we'll count it a win, and assume he perished. But it's never that easy. I highly doubt he'll miss this."

Tealfire stopped for a long pause before asked worriedly, "Sir … he's eluded us for so long. What do we do this time?"

Sven paused for a long moment as well before solemnly replying, "Do everything we can … and pray for some help."

Once they finally got outside into the night, Tealfire offered, "Major, have a good evening."

Sven replied as they exchanged salutes, "You do the same, Lieutenant."

With that, Agent Tealfire walked off, leaving Sven alone … or so he thought.

"Excuse me?" a voice came through the darkness, "Are you Sven Alexandersson, the Tekken Force Leader?"

Sven replied with understandable caution, "That's correct. Any reason why you're looking for me?"

"Yes… It seems that you've been looking for my brother, and now…" the person stepped out of the shadow as they finished, "I am too."

"Ryunosuke Nodachi?" Sven exclaimed in surprise, "Wha… Why are you here?"

His carefree attitude gone, Ryunosuke asked with concern heavy in his voice, "I want to help you find my brother … because he needs to be found."

Sven replied with skepticism, "Why should I trust you? How do I know you didn't help plan this whole gambit?"

Ryunosuke explained, "Well, I'm not really good at master plans, but I'm probably the person closest to my brother."

Sven said unfazed, "That sure sounds like a good reason to think you had something to do with all this."

Ryunosuke quickly said, "I promised I didn't. He didn't let me in on any of his plans … probably because he knew I would try to stop him if he did. I didn't know anything about what he was doing until after."

"You didn't know…" Sven said unwaveringly, "Or you didn't want to know?"

"Maybe a little of both…" Ryunosuke answered with remorse, "Listen… I'm not proud … of how all this turned out. I'm supposed to be his brother; I'm supposed to help him. Meanwhile, he's only gotten worse and worse right under my nose."

Sven finally relented ever so slightly, asking further, "Alright, but why seek me out now? What dawned on you?"

Ryunosuke despondently explained, "Well, after the tournament last year, he disappeared for months, and I didn't see him. I only spoke a couple of times and even then, it wasn't very long … but you could tell over the phone, that he was really bad. Then, he called me out of nowhere two weeks ago, said he wanted to see me, and I still didn't see him for long … he just looks horrible. He was a mess, and you could tell he'd almost completely lost it. Then, he almost blew himself up, and now he's gone again…"

Sven gave a nervous sigh and reacted, "Okay, so say I believe you… How can you actually help me?"

Ryunosuke earnestly answered, "Anyway, I can… Please, I'll do anything you need me to do. My brother needs to be found, and he needs help. I've failed him so far, and I'll do anything to not let him down again. Please, before he destroys himself…"

Finally, Sven said after another long pause, "Fine; it's not our policy to enlist outside help, but I'll make an exception for you. You could probably help fill in all the holes we've got… starting with your brother's support group."

_**Machination Set-Up**_

"Isn't she beautiful?" Kamikage asked with entranced indulgence.

The crazed Nodachi was hard at work on his latest device … a mechanized statue of the angel who saved him, made into an eerily exact likeness. It was extremely detailed from her hair to her shape to her eyes, including wings and all. Kamikage had obsessively and faithfully sculpted the entire thing, and showed it unwavering reverence. In fact, he barely left it the entire time. His confusion was so advanced that he eventually started speaking to 'her' as if she were alive…

"Y-Yes…" Mitsuko replied, very unsettled by the setting, "They're very … unique."

All the while, Mitsuko took in the disturbing sight. Even more troubling than one statue, there were actually a total of five eight-foot-tall bright white statues, all of them personally crafted and sculpted! The idols rested all along the wall in the circular room, their hands crossed over their chests in seeming prayer…

Completely distracted by his recreations, Kamikage elatedly asked, "She is a sight to behold. Now, what did you come for me? You're not trying to talk me out of this plan too, are you?"

Mitsuko asked with apprehension, "No, no. This plan is fine, especially compared with this last one. No, I came here … to talk about you."

Kamikage turned around in surprise, "Me? Why are you worried about me?"

Mitsuko explained her anxiety, "Why wouldn't I be? You've barely left this room. You've been working nonstop for days on these things. And now you're talking to it?"

"She's not an 'it'!" Kamikage snapped at her, "This celestial being saved my life; she's the reason I'm standing here. Show some respect."

Trying not to offend, Mitsuko persisted, "Sorry… but I'm still worried about you. You took a serious beating from that Kazama kid, and went right into building these without any rest time… Are you… Are you alright?"

Kamikage let out an ecstatic, almost goofy but still thoroughly troubling smile and answered, "Of course, I'm alright. In fact, I've never felt better; why shouldn't I? Everything I believed everything I fought for, everything I continued living for… It was all true; I was right all along. Now, I'm more determined than ever, and with my angel behind me, I know I'll succeed."

Unrelieved, Mitsuko suggested, "Great… but in the meantime, I think you should take a break. The tournament is not for a couple weeks, and you really need a rest. This whole thing can wait, for one night at least."

"NO!" Kamikage replied, his voice going from really loud and irate to calm eerily fast, "No, it has to be perfect… This is my last chance; it's the reason she saved me. I have to destroy them this time. Everything must be flawless… She trusted in me; she deserves for me to repay her."

Seeing he was dead-set, Mitsuko realized there was nothing she could do or say. Kamikage was mentally locked in, his reverence and adoration clearly too strong to break. Defeated, Mitsuko left as Kamikage went back to work.

_**Nakama**_

Just as he'd done on many cool afternoons, Haku was sitting on the swinging bench in the backyard of the Kazama house. Eventually, he sensed someone approaching, got a brief hint of the person's scent … and immediately feigned sleep. Akane, looking to join Haku in his regular resting place, approached the bench and giggled slightly when she came to it. By this time, she could tell when Haku was faking sleep. However, she took this comfortable ploy as an invitation and went to 'wake' him.

Akane sat close to him, lifted his arm over her shoulders, and rested her head on him. There was no response at first, so Akane went further; she came even closer to him and hovered inches away from his face, their lips tantalizingly close. His senses seized by her scent and the feeling of her body against his, Haku couldn't keep the charade up for much longer, and Akane got the response she wanted. Haku rose up slightly, meeting her and completing the kiss. Akane pulled back after a few moments with a laugh…

Akane happily said, "I got you."

Haku replied with a smile, "You sure did."

Taken by the moment, Haku had a brief lapse of judgment. He gently pulled her closer, but Akane let out an immediate whimper of discomfort, causing Haku to immediately let go; Akane had been released from the hospital the week before, so she was still recuperating…

Haku quickly apologized, "I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

Akane reassured him, "I'm doing really well. I am still pretty sore, but the doctor says I'm healing nicely."

Haku cautiously suggested, "And what about … the bruises? Maybe I should…"

Knowing what he was asking, Akane said with hesitation, "Ha-kun, are you sure you… I don't think it's a good idea. I'm getting better but … it doesn't look very good."

Haku hesitated, but pushed through his apprehension, "No, no; I, uh… I think I should. I can't be afraid of it right?"

Akane, still anxious about the situation, relented, and shyly released the three bottom buttons of her blouse, and opened it reveal it what was underneath. Her abdomen was wrapped in a sarashi-style bandage, but just above it was a yellow discoloration that blends into a purple one; even though her wounds were healing, the trauma was still evident. After a moment, Haku simply had to turn away…

"It's alright." Akane reassured him as she re-buttoned her blouse, "It really doesn't hurt as badly as it looks."

Haku let out a resolute sigh as he calmly replied, "No, I'm fine… That's why the tournament is set up, right?"

Akane, her mood changing to concern, brought up, "Actually… that's something I wanted to talk to you about… Ha-kun, are you sure you should go through with this? It's so dangerous for you and Jun-chan…"

Haku simply replied with somber definition, "We know … but we have to do it. He's not gonna stop attacking you, and it's just gonna get worse from here. We can't let that happen, even if … even if we have to give him what he wants."

Akane placed her hands on his cheeks and asked sincerely, "But, what about us? What are we, the people who love both of you, supposed to do with ourselves if … you don't survive?"

Haku paused for a moment as he thought, and finally said, "There really is no good way out of this, but in the end… What he wants is us … and we just couldn't live with ourselves if anything else happens to you all because of us. It shouldn't have happened to you in the first place… We can't ignore this anymore; we have to face him…"

"Then…" Akane solemnly asked, "There's nothing I can say?"

Haku sighed and said, "Our hands are tied; this has to stop."

Akane paused as she made a decision and finally proclaimed, "Then … I'll fight too."

Haku reacted with concern, "You … what? Akane-chan, you're already hurt, and you know how brutal this fight is; they won't go easy on you. It's so dangerous…"

Akane expressed in contrary, "The doctor says I'll be fully healed in time for the fight, and if I still wasn't… I couldn't live with _myself_ if anything happened to my best friends either, especially you."

Unable to argue, Haku could only let out, "Akane-chan…"

Akane added, "I'm sorry, Ha-kun, but my mind is made up as well."

"Is that so?" Haku said as a small smile crept onto his face, "Then, I guess there's no stopping you then."

Akane kissed him lightly, and said as she hugged him, "Hurt or not… I'll always be on your side… You don't have to fight alone with us here."

Haku very gingerly hugged her back and replied, "Jun-can and I are happy to know that. Hopefully though, we can do our part … and you won't need to fight at all."

End Chapter

_**A/N:**_** There you have it. As stated above, the actual fighting will begin next chapter. However, with semester coming, the releases for this story will be admittedly inconsistent. Nevertheless, I'm not abandoning this story, and I will finish it when I can. Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed it, and I hope you come back to read more. Please R&R, and as always, Rant, Rave, and Review. **


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